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Pkess op 
The Wisconsin State Rt 
Pokta<;e, Wis. 
JULV, ino4 






ACKNOWLEDGMENT 

What appears within these covers is largely the result of re- 
searches conducted at different times for articles for the columns of 
•• The Wisconsin State Register," of which paper I was for a num- 
ber of years one of the editors. Later on I prepared the maps 
which appear, showing the evolution of Columbia County, which are 
now published for the first time. The matter fell under the obser- 
vation of Mr. S. C. Cushman, the County Superintendent of Schools, 
who expressed a desire to have it published for use in the school 
libraries of the county, and upon his recommendation the Board of 
Supervisors authorized its publication for that purpose. For this 
kind estimate of the value of the work I desire to make my most 
grateful acknowledgments to the Board and to the County Superin- 
tendent. 




. /4A/y^y^-^^^/ 



miuetrations 



FORT WINNEBAGO Frontispiece 

MAP OF PORTAGE [Columbia] COUNTY, 1836 21 

1841 23 

COLUMBIA COUNTY, 1846 25 

1848 29 

1849 31 

1850 35 

1851 37 

1855 39 

THE GRIGNON CLAIM— No. 21— diagram of 6S 

POTTERS' EMIGRATION SOCIETY, Land Certificate 72 

THE WINNEBAGO-PORTAGE, Diagram of 86 

MISSIONARYS TENT IN AN INDIAN VILLAGE 120 

THE PAUQUETTE CHURCH, at Portage, 1833 122 



^ 



Iportraits 



LIEUT. JEFFERSON DAVIS 95 

LIEUT. HORATIO P. VAN CLEVE 96- 

OFFICERS AT FORT WINNEBAGO— 

Capt. E. V. Sumner, Lieut. N. B. Rossell, Lieut. R. B. Marcy, Lieut. J. J. Abercrom- 

bie, Major David E. Twiggs, Capt. Capt. W. S. Harney 98 

WOMEN AT FORT WINNEBAGO— 

Mrs. C. O. Van Cleve, Mr.s. R. B. Marcy, Mrs. N. B. Rossell, Mrs. C. M. Low, Mrs. 

Geo. B. McCellan ( Miss Marcy ) 100 ' 

CAPT. GIDEON LOW 101 

HON. HENRY MERRELL, Sutler at Fort 102 

MRS. JOHN H. KINZIE, Authoress of Wau-Bun 104 

FATHER MAZZUCHELLI, Early Missionary 121 

EX-GOVERNOR JAMES T. LEWIS, Wisconsin's War Governor 135 

MRS. CHARLOTTE O. VAN CLEVE, Wisconsin's First Bom 140 



Contcnte 



Page 

Under Trans-Atlantic Dominion 9 

Under Territorial Control 12 

In the Northwest Territory 13 

In Indiana Territory 16 

Michig-an Territory 16 

In Illinois Territory 17 

In Michigan Territory 18 

Wisconsin Territory, Organized 19 

Organization of Portage [Columbia County] 20 

First Platting of Columbia County ' 26 

The Evolution of Columbia County 40 

The First Settlers of Columbia County 44 

Indian Occuiiancy 46 

Paper Cities of Columbia County 48 

Nomenclature of Columbia County 54 

Signification of Indian and French Names 60 

An Early Map of Wisconsin 64 

Land Entries in Coliunbia County 65 

The Grignon Tract 67 

The Potters' Emigration Society 70 

Locating the County Seat 73 

Erection of County Buildings 76 

County Officers of Columbia County 80 

Wisconsin's Territorial Representatives in Congress 84 

Postmasters at Fort Winnebago, Wauona, Portage City and Portage 86 

The Fox and Wisconsin Portage 87 

Old Fort Winnebago 90 

The Winnebago Uprising — Surrender of Red Bird 114 

The First Church in Central Wisconsin 121 

WTiere was AUouez' Mission of St. James? 122 

Jean Nicolet in Columbia County ! 131 

Jean Nicolet, a poem 133 

Wisconsin's War Governor, James T. Lewis 135 

Wisconsin's First Bom, Charlotte Guisconsin Van Cleve 140 



PREFACE. 

In the preparation of the matter embraced within these covers, the sole 
purpose has been to bring together, in compact and convenient form for 
reference, such data as might be useful to those who would study the 
Family Tree of Columbia County, as they would that of their ancestral 
line, and gain a knowledge of its branches. As an introduction, britf 
references have been made to the early occupancy of North America, 
but nothing more, as that tield is beyond the scope oi] a work of this 
character. 

From its geographical position a complete history of Columbia County 
would cover a period extending back two hundred and seventy years 
when Jean Nicolet, who was the first white person to set foot upon the 
soil of Wisconsin, ascended the Fox River, in 1634, and it would com- 
prise a complete history of the Northwest when it constituted a part of 
"New France," as it was designated, while its inhabitants were under 
the jurisdiction of Louis XV., King of France, before they became the 
subjects of George III., King of Great Britain. 

Having, then, matters pertaining to Columbia County chiefly in view, 
I have procured from time to time, from unpubli.^hed official records, 
old letters from early settlers, the archives of the State Historical So- 
ciety and the county records, and other trustworthy sources, the matter 
now published, which, it is hoped, will enable the student, or other 
person curiously inclined, to easily know the changes of the county 
from the time American Independence was established and the "Terri- 
tory Northwest of the Ohio river" (as it was designated by the famous 
ordinance of 1787) was organized, of which Wisconsin was a constituent 
part, down to the present time. 

The volume is not to be regarded in any sense as a "Histor}' of Co- 
lumbia County" for no such lofty pretentions are made for it, but rather 
as a "hand book" that may be consulted for information concerning 



various happenings in the county about which frequent inquiries are 
made. Those things given as "history" will, it is hoped, be found 
measurably free from serious error. While my own individual opinions 
have been freely advanced upon certain controverted points — and 
some radical views quite a variance with theories of historians of note 
have been expressed — they may be accepted or rejected, as the reader 
may be impressed as to their value, or lack of it. If it be considered 
that I have contended too strenuously that the Mascouten village and 
Allouez' Mission of St. James, are landmarks of Columbia County, I 
may plead, in extenuation, that local traditions concerning them are 
highly treasured, and the people of the county do not like to be despoiled 
of them by writers of our local history who give wide latitude to pens, 
guided largely by lurid imaginations. 

Although biography had not entered into the plan of this work, as it 
might very properly have done, it would hardly be excusable if more 
than brief mention were not made of the county's most honored fellow 
citizen, ex Governor James T. Lewis, unless Luther S. Dixon, a for- 
mer chief justice of the state, should be excepted. And so Gen. A. C. 
Parkinson, the governor's neighbor and intimate friend has, upon re- 
quest, contributed the chapter on "Wisconsin's War Governor" as we 
all delight to refer to him, the only one, perhaps, aside from ex- Gov. 
Edward Salomon, (now living in Germany) of that illustrious galaxy 
of governors who administered the affairs of their states during the 
Civil War. 

I am fully conscious of the fact that a perusal of these pages, given 
principally to dry details, will not be found so exciting as a historical 
novel, or as fascinating as an hour spent with the Autocrat of the Break- 
fast Table, but I indulge the hope that the youths of today, may, with 
their aid, acquire a more thorough knowledge of the genesis of Colum- 
bia County than they could otherwise do, without long and tedious re- 
search, and if this shall be the case I may feel that my earnest desires 
have been measurably accomplished. 

The various chapters of this volume, not forming a continuous "story," 
have been placed in it with small regard to any established order, for 
the printing of it was commenced before it had been fully decided upon 
what was to appear in it. Many chapters that had been prepared for 
it are necessarily omitted, as it was found that the volume was being 
expanded far beyond what was originally contemplated. 



Hoping that I have not laid myself open to the criticism of having 
given too much attention to matters of minor importance, trival of 
themselves, as it may seem to some, but which in my judgment, should 
be chronicled while they could be, I commend to the students of Co- 
lumbia County a careful study of its "FAMILY TREE," and indulge 
the hope that they will be benefited by it. 

Portage, Wis., July, 1904. 



j,artf5»J,flrw5»T( 




A.. J. Turner 



The Family Tree of Columbia County* 



CHAPTER I. 

UNDER TRANS-ATLANTIC DOMINION. 

Because of early discoveries by her navigators and inland explorers, Spain laid a general 
but undefined claim to the greater part of the wilderness of North America, to which the name 
of Florida was given. This condition of affairs lasted from about 1512 until the irruption 
of the French who penetrated the continent by means of the St. Lawrence and Ottawa rivers 
and the Great Lakes, and gradually made claim to the inland water systems, as fast as dis- 
covered by their adventurous traders and missionaries. It should be understood, however, 
that within this vast territory there were few, if any, Spaniards nearer than the Gulf of Mexico. 
— R. G. Thwaites, Secretary of the Wisconsin State Historical Society. 

Columbus discovered America in 1492; and so had Leif Erickson in 
1000, and other Scandinavian seamen had made excursions to points on 
the western continent prior to either of them. Fiske, the eminent his- 
torian, very justly surmises "that there may have been more such oc- 
casional visits than we have been wont to suppose," for claims are made 
that Chinese, Arabs, Welsh, Venetians, Portugues, Poles, Phoenecians 
and Irish navigators looked upon the western continent before Columbus 
did, all of which are supported with evidence more or less convincing; 
but nothing of value had followed these predatory visits of roving sea- 
men to our shores, as what they discovered never was made known to 
the world, or had been entirely forgotten, while Columbus' expedition, 
probably, was made without knowledge of the visits of others five hun- 
dred years before, and it had a definite purpose in view, as well. And 
so to Columbus should be accorded the honor of the discovery of the 
western continent, and the beginning of America should date from it, 
lor the contact between the two worlds began from the date of his visit 
to it in 1492. 

Spain's discovery of America, and the establishment of a colony in it, 
gave much plausibility to her claim, never very strongly asserted, of 
right of dominion over the entire western continent, but having failed to 
extend her "sphere of influence" very far away from the coast line, 



lo THE FA MIL Y TREE OF 

.small regard was given to her claim of possessions beyond the territory- 
she actually occupied, and not overmuch as to that. Discovery was 
one thing; ability to occupy, possess and maintain possession of what 
had been discovered was quite another thing. The strongest arm 
carries the baton of authority, by whomsoever wielded, with small de- 
ference to the morality of it. So France and Great Britain, as Spain 
already had done, proceeded to establish their own colonies on the 
newly discovered continent. 

Spain had the honor of establishing the first permanent colony in 
North America, in St. Augustine, Florida, in 1565; the French planted 
the second colony in 1604, at Port Royal, Acadia, (the original name 
of Nova Scotia), and the English the third at Jamestown, Va., in April, 
1607, which was the first permanent settlement of the English in 
America. 

The territorial limits of the territory claimed were not, at first, defi- 
nitely defined. It was to be left to future events to determine the extent 
of the possessions of the different nations that were invading the conti- 
nent. But when Jacques Cartier sailed into the Gulf of St. Lawrence, 
in 1534, the basis for a claim of dominion of territory, of undefined ex- 
tent, on the part of France, was laid. In 1608, authority over "New 
France," as the territory occupied by her was called, was inaugurated 
by the appointment of Samuel de Champlain as Intendant, (Governor.) 
What comprised New France, then? When St. Lusson, at Sault Ste. 
Marie, on the 14th of June, 1671, took possession ol the whole country 
bounded by the seas on the north, west and south, "In the name of 
the Most High, Mighty and Redoubtable Monarch, Louis, Fourteenth 
of that name. Most Christian King of France and Navarre," and when 
Sieur La Salle, in 1682, on reaching the mouth of the Mississippi, erected 
a column and a cross, bearing the arms of France and inscribed upon 
it the words, "Louis the Great, King of France and Navarre, reigning, 
April 9, 1 68 2." and formally took possession for France of all of the 
country watered by the Mississippi, it became apparent that Louis XIV., 
the "High, Mighty and Redoubtable Monarch" across the seas, had 
some very ambitious designs, and his "imperial eagerness" began to be 
displayed. The eastern limits to possessions claimed by St. Lusson, 
had, with much prudence, been left undefined. Bounded in part by the 



COLUMBIA COUNTY ir 

seas to the northwest and south, how far she might claim dominion 
toward the sea to the east was to be determined later on. 



When Champlain became Intendant of New France, in i6oS, the oc- 
cupation of the territory comprising Wisconsin became, by a succession 
of events, a dependency of France and her affairs were to be adminis- 
tered by Louis XIV. French dominion continued until the termina- 
tion of the Seven Years War between France and Great Britain, when 
the Fleur de Lis of France was lowered to the ensign of George III. on 
the Plains of Abraham on that eventful day, in 1759, and the ambitious 
dreams of the rulers of France of vast empire in the new world, under 
their dominion, had departed forever. Great Britain was now in un- 
disputed possession of all the territory in the northwest east of the 
Mississippi, and what we now call Wisconsin, had passed under the 
dominion of George III., King of Great Britain. 

While occupying that relation to the crown, a government was es- 
tablished, 1774, over the northwest, under which Wisconsin became a 
part of the English colony of Quebec. This relation continued until 
the revolt of the colonies, in 1775, which terminated, in 1783, in Amer- 
ican independence. Prior to the declaration of independence the Col- 
onies, in an informal manner, had established a Continental Congress 
for consideration of public affairs concerning them, which culminated in 
the Declaration of Independence, in 1776, which our people celebrate 
so patriotically each recurring Fourth day of July. A committee of 
this Congress had reported to it "Articles of Confederation" for the 
government of the colonies now in revolt, but action on them was de- 
ferred until near the close of 1777. The Articles could not take effect 
until all of the thirteen colonies had ratified them, and it was not until 
1781 when Maryland, the last one to do so, gave in its assent. The 
United States of America had no existence as a government, under a 
fundamental compact, until the spring of 1781. The Continental Con- 
gress, with little control or authority "bore for nearly fifteen years the 
symbol of Federal authority."* In 1787 Congress called a convention 
for a revision of the "Articles of Confederation," which had been found 
wholly unsuited to the conditions of the countr}', and a constitution was 
drafted that year, and having been finally ratified by the requisite num- 

'^Schouler. 



12 THE FAMILY TREE OF 

ber of states, it was promulgated, in 1789, as the "Constitution of the 
United States of America," under which, with its amendments, we now 
live. 

It is difficult to realize at this time that Wisconsin was ever subject to 
the dominion of Kings. "It seems more like a dream," as J. P. Dunn, 
Jr., the historian of Indiana has so well observed, "than the sober truth 
of history, that the approval of Louis the Great, was prerequisite to the 
exploration of her lands, and commercial intercourse with her naked 
denizens; that Louis XV. held in his hands the supreme power over the 
welfare of her first settlers. Her seat of government vacillated between 
Quebec, New Orleans, and Montreal, with intermediate authorities at 
Fort Charters and Detroit and the ultimate power at Paris. Then her 
capital was transferred to London by the treaty of Paris, which termi- 
nated French dominion, and sixteen years later it came over the Atlan- 
tic to Richmond, on the James, by conquest, and after tarrying five 
years at that point, it shifted to New York City, then the national seat 
of government. In 1788 it reached Marietta, Ohio, which had been 
made the capital of the "Territory Northwest of the Ohio River." 
Settlers in Wisconsin were rare during these years, and probably there 
was not a single inhabitant, aside from the aborigines, in the limits of 
Columbia County, while Wisconsin was under French and English 
dominion. 

And so the territory embraced within the limits of Columbia County, 
if Spain's claim of dominion, which was but nominal, be admitted, had 
been successively under — 

Spain, from 1512 to 1634 

France, from 1634 to 1763 

Great Britain, from 1763 to 1783 

United States, from 1783 to date 



CHAPTER II. 



UNDER TERRITORIAL CONTROL. 



When the Colonies emerged from their struggle with the mother 
country, and their independence had been acknowledged, and a treaty of 



COLUMBIA COUNTY 13 

peace concluded, in 17S3, the United States found themselves possessed 
of all that vast territory lying in the Northwest, which included the pres- 
ent states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin and that 
portion of Minnesota lying between the Mississippi and St. Croix 
Rivers. The whole of this territory was claimed by France from 1634 
to 1760, although formal possession of it was not taken until 1671, 
when, by the termination of the war which had been waged between 
France and Great Britain, it was relinquished to the British in 1763. 
Claims to portions of it had been made by various states based upon 
grants to chartered companies, (disregarding the claim of France to 
sovereignty), but those of Massachusetts and Virginia alone affected 
any portion of the present county of Columbia. The claim of Massa- 
chusetts, to some portion of it, was based upon a charter granted in 
1691 by "Charles, King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland," to 
the "Council established at Plymouth." It conveyed to them a vast 
tract of territory described as extending "from the Atlantick and West- 
erne Sea on the West parte, etc." This grant embraced all of the 
south third of Wisconsin, including Columbia County. The full text 
of the boundaries of the grant are given to show with what reckless 
generosity rulers across the seas disposed of empires they were exercis- 
ing dominion over, of whose future they had little knowledge and less 
concern : 

All that Parte of Newe England in America aforesaid, which lyes 
and extends between a greate River there Comonlie called Monomack 
alias Marriemack and a certen other River there, called Charles 
River, being in the Bottom of a certayne Bay there comonlie called 
Massachusetts, alias Mattachusetts Bay, and also all and singular 
those Landes, and Hereditaments whatsoevei-, lyeing within the Space 
of three English Myles on the South Parte of the said Charles River, 
or of any, or everie Parte thereof: and also, all and singuler, the 
Lands and Hereditaments whatsoever, lyeing and being within the 
space of three English Myles to the Southwarde of the Southermost 
Parte of the Saide Bay called Massachusetts, alias Mattachusetts, 
alias Massatusets Bay; and also all those Landes and Hereditaments 
whatsoever which lye, and be within the space of three English 
Myles to the Northward of the said River called Monomack, alias 
Merrymack, or to the Northward of any and every Parte thereof and 
all Landes and Hereditaments whatsoever, lyeing within the Lymitts 
aforesaid, North and South in Latitude and bredth, and in Length 
and Longitude of and within all the Bredth aforesaide, throughout 
the Mayne Landes there, from the Atlantick and Westerne Sea and 
Ocean on the East Parte to the South Sea on the West Parte. 



14 



THE FAMIL Y TREE OF 



IN THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY. 

It is quite unnecessary to dwell upon the sufficiency of this grant, or 
of any other of the grants affecting the Northwest territory, lor they 
were all relinquished to the Confederation by the several states by the 
passage of the famous ordinance of 1787, establishing a government for 
The Territory Northivest of the River Ohio. In July, 178S, its territor- 
ial government was formally organized, Arthur St. Clair having been 
appointed Governor. 

Prior to the arrival of Gov. St. Clair at Marietta, a code of laws had 
been made by the settlers for their government which, on the 4th of July 
of that year, 1788, was formally promulgated by being "tacked up on 
the smooth bark of a beech tree," there being no printing presses in 
the territory at that time. Such were the primitive beginnings of 
American rule of the territory which now embraces Wisconsin and 
Columbia County. In celebrating its centennial, the Hon. George 
F. Hoar, who made an address on the occasion, alluded to the event 
most felicitously, as follows: "Here was the first human govern- 
ment under which absolute civil and religious liberty has always pre- 
vailed. Here was no witch ever hanged or burned. When older 
states or nations, where the chains of human bondage have been broken, 
shall utter the proud boast 'with a great price I obtained this freedom' 
each sister of this imperial group, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and 
Wisconsin, may lift up her queenly head with the yet prouder answer, 
'But I was born free.' '''^' 

On the 15th of August, 1796, Governor St. Clair issued a proclama- 
tion establishing the county of Wayne. This county included that por- 
tion of Wisconsin "enclosing the lands upon the streams emptying into 
the said lake" [Michigan] and "old settlers" of Columbia County — 
there were a few of them here prior to that time — found themselves in 
the county of Wayne, Northwest Territory, with their territorial capital 
at Marietta, and county seat at Detroit, or were left wholly outside of 
any county organization, according to their location. The boundary 
lines of Wayne County, thus established, were so indefinite, especially 

*This statement, historically considered, was not absolutely correct, for slaves, to'a limited 
degree, of course, were held in the Territory when it was organized, and some were held for 
many years after the adoption of the ordinance, including Wisconsin, notwithstanding its 
clearly expressed purpose to forever prohibit it. Other clauses appeared in the ordinance 
which, the courts subsequently held, rendered the prohibition clause inoperative. See Dunn's 
History of Indiana, "Slavery proviso," p. 215. In tact, while the ordinance served a most 
valuable purpose, much doubt has been cast upon the legality of any portion of it. 



COLUMBIA COUNTY 15 

as to that part of the county which was made to include a portion of 
the present county of Columbia, that no attempt to locate them with 
exactness was made by surveyor or historian. It is well that no ques- 
tion ever arose that made their delimitation necessary, for the bound- 
aries of Venezuela and Alaska were simple propositions in comparison 
with the boundaries of Wayne County. Lay a map of Columbia 
County before you and you will see that Fox River, having its source 
in a small lake [Lake Sarah] in the town of Randolph, flows in a south- 
westerly direction, some twenty- five miles or more, and when within a 
mile and a half of the Wisconsin River abruptly changes its course to 
the northwest and discharges into Lake Michigan through Green Bay. 
Another stream, the Duck Creek, having its source not far distant from 
Lake Sarah, runs parallel with the Fox, but instead of changing its 
course, like the Fox, it keeps its direction and empties into the Wis- 
consin River. The branches of these two streams reach out in close 
proximity to each other, almost intermingling is some places, but their 
waters find the oceans in opposite directions, the Fox through the Great 
Lakes and the St. Lawrence in the Atlantic Ocean, and the Duck Creek 
through the Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers in the Gulf of Mexico. 
There are many other such instances to the north of Portage where 
waters of streams, flowing in opposite directions, almost blend and leave 
it uncertain where the boundaries of Wayne County really were. In 
writing upon the physical features of the town of Randolph many years 
ago, Hon. Wm. T. Whirry presented the situation in that town so ad- 
mirably that his language is adopted entire: 

What sti'eams vje have in town start from springs, except tlie one 
on the marsh ou section 1, through which the small outlet of Lake 
Emily runs. We are pretty well up in the world, having a position on 
the boundary or divide between the valley of the Mississippi and the 
valley of the St. Lawrence, and on many farms the rain as it falls di- 
vides, and finds its way to the ocean by different routes, a portion by 
the Gulf of Mexico and a portion by the St. Lawrence, so we have no 
fears of the greatest freshest doing us any damage. But I must not 
omit to mention that the celebrated Fox River takes its rise here at 
Lake Sarah, on the line between sections 4 and 5. 

At some points in Portage cabins also could have been found where 
the rains falling on the roofs would flow in opposite directions, and an 
occupant of them would at one moment be in Wayne County, North- 
west Territory, and the next one would be in no organized territory. 
A person living on the banks of Duck Creek, in Columbia County, 



1 6 THE FAMILY TREE OF 

seeing its waters flow to the Wisconsin River, would aptly conclude that 
he was in "unorganized territory," but when he arose in the morning, 
after a heavy rain, he might find that the stream had reversed its current 
in the night and was actually flowing up stream, and then he would be 
apt to conclude that he had become a resident of Wayne County, 
Northwest Territory. Here we must leave our distressed "old settler" 
in his dilemma to find out "where he was at" without our assistance, as 
he will do in ample time, when the waters of the Wisconsin have sub- 
sided. And so what may appear to the reader absurd, as a stream re- 
versing its current and "running up stream," is not so very strange at 
all, for the apparent phenomena is easily explained by natural causes. 
The Duck Creek is a slow, turgid stream, as it nears the Wisconsin 
River, and when that stream rises much above its usual stage it simply 
drowns out the Duck Creek, causing it to reverse its current and, over- 
flowing its banks, its waters find their way across the low lands between 
it and the Fox and discharge into that stream. It is, perhaps, the only 
place in the world where such conditions exist. 

IN INDIANA TERRITORY. 

The next change affecting the political status of the residents of Co- 
lumbia County, after the organization of the Northwest Territory, was 
in 1800, when the Territory of Indiana was erected which included all 
of the present state of Wisconsin, with the seat of government at Sainte 
Vincennes on the Wabash." William Henry Harrison was appointed 
its governor, and thus became our first governor while we were under 
the jurisdiction of Indiana, as he had been our first delegate in Congress 
while we were in the northwest Territory. While Wisconsin constitut- 
ed a part of Indiana Territory she formed no part of any organized 
county. 

MICHIGAN TERRITORY. 

On the nth of January, 1805, Congress passed an "act to divide the 
Indiana Territory into two separate Governments," which provided 
that ' 'all that part of the Indiana Territory which lies north of a line drawn 
east from the southerly bend or extreme of Lake Michigan until it shall 
intersect Lake Erie, and east of a line drawn from the southerly bend of 
said lake to the northern extremity, and thence due north to the north- 
ern boundary ol the United States, shall for the purpose of temporary 



COLUMBIA COUNTY 17 

government constitute a separate territory and be called Michigan." 
Detroit was established as the seat of government until Congress 
should otherwise direct. This left Wisconsin still attached to Indiana, 
however, with the capital at Sainte Vincennes on the Wabash, but it was 
not included in any organized county. 

IX ILLINOIS TERRITORY. 

An old settler of Wisconsin did not long owe allegiance to Indiana, 
for, in 1809, the Territory oi Illinois was carved from it, which included 
Wisconsin, but its boundaries were so defined that a small fraction of 
Door County, Wisconsin, being east of the meridian line designated as 
the boundary line between Indiana and Illinois, extended north, was 
left unattached to any territory, but upon the admission of Illinois into 
the Union as a State, in 1818, all of the territory lying west of Michi- 
gan Territory and north of Indiana and Illinois was attached to and 
made a part of Michigan Territory, so the isolated territory [in Door 
County] now became a part of the Territory of Michigan, and that with 
the county bordering generally on Lake Michigan was made a part of 
Michilimacinac County at the same time Gov. Cass established the 
counties of Brown and Crawford west of Lake Michigan. 

While Illinois had been a part of the Northwest territory, Governor 
St. Clair had, in 1790, laid off the county of St. Clair, but it embraced 
no part of Wisconsin, which was left in unorganized territory. Gov- 
ernor Edwards, in 1809, laid off the counties of Randolph and St. 
Clair. The latter county contained the territory of Columbia County, 
and Kaskaskia was the capital of the Territory, as well as the county 
seat of St. Clair, and it was to Kaskaskia that our old settlers would 
have had to go to exercise their suffrages and transact their county 
business. 

On the 14th of September, 1812, Gov. Edwards issued a proclama- 
tion dividing St. Clair County and creating the county of Madison, the 
southern boundary of which was "To begin on the Mississippi, to run 
with the second township line between Indiana and Illinois Territorie." 
All of the territory north of that line containing the whole of Wisconsin 
was included in the county of Madison and its seat of justice was des- 
ignated as being "The house of Thomas Kirk'patrick." It is not re- 
corded that any "old settler" ever exercised the rights of citizenship at 



1 8 THE FAMILY TREE OF 

the house of Thomas Kirkpatrick but probably none did. Tradition 
h.isit that this house was situated within the present city of Edwards- 
ville. 

The next change that occurred to affect the status of our old settler 
was in 1817, when the town of Silver Creek, Madison County, was or- 
ganized, which embraced within its limits nearly half of Illinois and all 
of the present state of Wisconsin. 

The center of political activity in Silver Creek, where our old settlers 
would have been called to go to attend the caucus was in the southwest 
part of Madison county in what is now called Olive.* 

However, no one in Columbia County had occasion to make many 
•visits to Silver Creek, for the next year another important change in 
territorial boundaries took place. 

IN MICHIGAN TERRITORY. 

On the 3d of December, 1818, Congress passed an act admitting Il- 
linois into the Union as a state and in adjusting its boundaries the 
whole of the territory comprising the present state of Wisconsin, was 
remanded to the jurisdiction of Michigan and our ' 'old settler" became 
;an inhabitant of the county of Wayne, Mich., with Detroit as the cap- 
ital, as he had once before been an inhabitant of Wayne County, North- 
west Territory. 

On the 26th of October of that year Governor Lewis Cass issued his 
proclamation establishing the counties of Brown and Crawford. Mich- 
ilimacinac bordering on Lake Superior, was also made a county but it 
had no application to our old settler. The dividing line between Brown 
and Crawford Counties ran directly north and south from Illinois 



*The Court of Common Pleas of St. Clair County had subdivided the ter- 
ritory comprised in what was afterward Madison County, but the county 
court of Madison County re-organized these political sub-divisions of the 
county, then called townships and precincts. They were called Six Mile 
Township— Bi£? Prairie— Wood River— Goshen— and Silver Creek. Silver 
Creek township began where the range line between seven and eight inter- 
sects the north boundary line of St. Clair County, thence due east to the 
Bond County line, thence north. No limit on the north, so as to include all 
inhabitants north of Goshen and Wood River townships. These were the 
limits of Silver Creek township in 1817, and the township was from time to 
time reduced in size, but kept its name until 1876, since when it has been 
called "Olive." It kept the name of Silver Creek for over fifty years. If 
Wisconsin was a part of Illinois territory as contemplated [as it was] then it 
was in Silver Creek township, Madison county, \\\.— Jessie Palmer Weher, 
Librarian Ills. State Historical Society. 



COLUMBIA COUNTY 19 

through the ce.iter of the "portage," and a resident of Columbia 
County would have been an i;ihabitant of either of the counties of Brown 
or Crawford, according to his location east or west of that line; if east of 
it, he was in Brown County; and if west of it he was in Crawford County.* 
In 1834 the boundaries of Brown County were extended to the Wis- 
consin River. 

This division of the territory into counties remained until 1829, when 
Iowa County was organized, which was made to include that portion 
of the present county of Columbia lying west of a north and south line 
drawn through the center of the "portage" and east of the Wisconsin 
River, thus putting all of the towns of West Point and Lodi, and por- 
tions of the towns of Arlington, Dekorra and Pacific and so much of the 
city of Portage as was west of the line referred to and as was south of 
the "portage" and east and south of the Wisconsin River, in Iowa 
County, leaving all of Caledonia in Crawford County. 

IN WISCONSIN TERRITORY. 

By an act of Congress approved April 20, 1836, to take effect from 
and after the third day of July following, the territory of Wisconsin was 
created. While the territory constituted a part of Michigan Territory 
Congress had, in 1834, greatly increased its limits by adding to it, for 
judicial purposes, a large extent of country west of the Mississippi, 
reaching south as far as the present boundary line between the states 
of Iowa and Missouri; north to the territorial line between the United 
States and Canada; and west to the Missouri and White Earth rivers, 
which would include all of Iowa, Minnesota and portions of North Da- 
kota and South Dakota. On Sept. 6, 1834, the Legislative Assembly 
of Michigan established the County of Milwaukee, with the town of 
Milwaukee as the county seat, containing at that time scarcely 100 in- 
habitants within its boundaries. The county embraced the six south- 
east towns of the present county of Columbia but there was no conten- 
tion about the county seat, for there was not a white person at that time 
within their borders, and was not at the time thev were set off into Port- 



*A line drawn north and south directly through the center of the "port- 
age" would perhaps cross the Wisconsin River, in town twelve, range nine, 
and put a portion of Caledonia in Brown County; but as it is not certain 
that such would be the case all of the territory west of tlie Wisconsin will be. 
regarded, in what follows, as having been in Crawford County. 



20 THE FAMIL Y TREE OF 

age (Columbia) county in 1S36, the first entry of land in these towns 
having been made in 1839. 

So our old settler has been a resident of — 

The Northwest Territory, from 1787 to 1800 

Indiana Territory, from 1800 to 1809 

Illinois Territory, from 1809 to 1818 

Michigan Territory, from 1818 to 1836 

Wisconsin Territory, from 183(5 to date 



CHAPTER III. 

We are now brought to the beginning of Columbia County (first des- 
ignated as Portage) which was set off from Brown and Crawford coun- 
ties by act of the territorial legislature approved December 7th, 1836, 
the Territory of Wisconsin having been organized that year. The 
county was almost identical with the present county of Columbia ex- 
cept a portion of Caledonia, — town twelve, range eight — which re- 
mained in Crawford County, but it also included the western tier of 
towns of Dodge County, and fractional town ten, ranges six and sev- 
en in Sauk County, the nucleus of a settlement having already been 
established on "Sauk Prairie" whose political and business relations 
were, at that time, with the settlements on the east side of the river. 

By act of the Legislature, approved Jan. 2, 1838, the country in- 
cluded within the limits of Portage County was set off into a separate 
town, by the name ol "Lowe"* and the polls of election were estab- 
lished at the ' 'Indian Agency House" near Fort Winnebago. The 
polls were never opened, however, for ten days later another act was 
passed rearranging the boundaries of the county and establishing the 
county seat at Kentucky City (Dekorra). — Chapter 18, Section jj, 
Laxvs of i8j8. 

This act provided: 

That townships number ten, range six, township number ten, range 
seven, townships number ten and eleven, in range eight, townships 
ten, eleven, twelve and thirteen, in ranges nine, ten, eleven and 
twelve, east of the fourth principal meridian, and the territories with- 
in the following described boundaries, viz: Crossing the Wisconsin 
River on the township line between ten and eleven, six miles due 
west; tlii'ucc up in a line parallel and six miles from the west shore 



*Erroneously printed in Snyder &VanVechten's Historical Atlas as "Iowa. 



22 THE FA MIL Y TREE OF 

of said rircr, to a point opposite to tin- " Vpper Rapids^' thereof, and 
thence due east to said rapids, be, and the same is hereby established 
and declared to be a county, with the name of "Portage" and the 
seat of justice is hereby established at 'Kentucky City' (Dekorra).* 

This brought into Portage County such portions of Fairfield, Delton 
and Dellona (now in Sauk County) as were within the six mile strip; 
and it also brought into the county all of town twelve, range eight, which 
had been isolated from Crawford County altogether by the erection of 
Sauk County in 1S40 and left it unattached to any county. 

This act, it will be observed, omitted the towns in range thirteen, 
(Fox Lake, Westlord, Calamus and Elba) which were transferred to 
Dodge County. 

On February i8th, 1S41, an act of the territorial legislature was ap- 
proved which provided for enlarging the boundaries of Portage County, 
as follows: 

All that district of country lying immediately north of the counties 
of Sauk and Portage [the county of Sauk had been organized in 1840] 
and comprised in ranges two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight and 
nine east of the fourth principal meridian and extending to the north- 
ern boundary of the territory north, e.rccjit fractional toivntiliips four- 
teen and fifteen north in. range nine c«.s^| shall be and the same is 
hereby annexed to and made a part of the county of Portage. 

This embraced all of the present counties of Columbia, Adams, 
Juneau, Wood, and the eastern parts of Taylor, Price and Iron and the 
western portions of Marquette, Portage, Marathon, Lincoln and Lang- 
lade. 



*Itwillbe noticed that the boundary of the county on the west was to 
commence at a point "crossing the Wisconsin R;ver on the Township line be- 
tween towns ten and eleven" and that the line was then to run "from a point 
six miles from the west shore of said river to a point opposite the Upper Rap- 
ids, and thence due east to the rapids. The "Upper Rapids" were what we 
now know as the "Upper Dells" at Kilbourn City, as that was the term they 
were known by in early times. It may seem strange, however, that the 
boundary line should have been made to run six miles from and parallel with 
the Wisconsin River. This was a most remarkable boundary line but may be 
explained perhaps, by the fact that there were a few settlers scattered along 
the southwesterly bank of the Wisconsin River in the six mile strip whose in- 
terests were wholly at the "Winnebago Portage" rather than with Prairie du 
Chien, in Crawford County, where their affairs would have been transacted 
if they had not been detached. The lands in the strip not having been sur- 
veyed they could not be described in any other manner. 

tThe rea.son for excepting these fractional towns probably was owing to the 
fact that the sections were in a bend of the Fox River and to have made them 
a part of Portage County would have made it highly inconvenient for the few 
inhabitants residing in them, so very properly they were left in Marquette 
County. 




Boundaries of Portage County as Established by Ret 
of LegislaMJre. Feb. 18,1841 



24 THE FAMILY TREE OF 

Election precincts for the enlarged county were established at the 
Franklin House at the Portage; at Stephea's Mills, at the Big Bull 
Falls, at the house of E. Bloomer; at the Grand Rapids, at the house 
of Abraham Bravvley on Mill Creek, and at Dickinson and Stroud's 
Mills on the Crawfish (Columbus). 

The people having neglected to hold this election, the Legislature 
passed a special "Relief Act" on the 9th of February, 1842, authoriz- 
ing the sheriff of Dane County (to which the county had been attached 
for judicial purposes) to call an election for county officers in Portage 
County on the fourth Monday in March, 1S42. On the iSth of April, 
1844, the people voted on the location of the county seat, and Plover 
was triumphant over Fort Winnebago. At the first meeting of the 
County Commissioners held at the hotel of Capt. Low (The Franklin 
House) April 20, 1842, three election precincts were established in the 
territory comprising Columbia County — Columbus, at Stroud and 
Dickinson's Mills; Dekorra, at the house of LaFayette Hill, and Win- 
Jiebago Portage, at the house of Capt. G. Low. 

In making election returns to the county seat at Plover, Hon. John 
O. Adams has related his experience in the following manner: About 
fifty votes were polled in this precinct and about one hundred and 
twenty-five in the county. Mr. Adams started the day after election 
with the returns. He went as far as Dickason's (Wyocena) with the 
Major, the latter being on foot, and Mr, Adams mounted on a pony. 
This was Mr. Adams's first experience in the pioneer mode of traveling 
— "ride and tie" as it was called. One rode a couple of miles or more, 
tied his horse to a blazed tree and walked along the trail until he was 
overtaken and passed, and afterward came up with the horse tied and 
waiting for him. This was not a sociable way of journeying, and often 
the party overtaken would trot along beside his mounted friend to get 
a few minutes' "chat." One day on the trail satisfied Mr. Adams that 
it was hardly worth while for him to make a trip of 100 miles or more 
to carry the returns of fifty votes and he handed his papers over to 
Chas. Temple who was going with the returns of the Winnebago precinct. 

This brings us to the organization of Columbia County which was 
accomplished by act of the Legislature of Wisconsin, approved Febru- 
ary 3d, 1846. The county as thus organized is as it now exists except 
the lands of the Menominee Indians remained within the limits of 
Portage County. 

The evolution of the county shall now be told by the county records. 



COLUMBIA COUNTY 



25 






Q a- 

II 

Ox-? 




26 THE FAMILY TREE OF 

CHAPTER IV. 

THE FIRST PLATTING OF COLUMBIA COUNTY. 

The county of Columbia having been set ofif from Portage County 
by act of the Legislature approved Feb. 3, 1846, an election was held 
April ist of that year in the several precincts of the county for the 
election of such officers as the act provided for that the county might 
be fully organized on the ist day of May following. At that election 
Solomon Leach, John O. Adams and John Langdon were elected 
County Commissioners. The records of their first meeting are given 
herewith. 

PART I. 

At a meeting of the County Commissioners held at the house of El- 
bert Dickason on the i6th day of July, A. D. 1846, after severally 
taking the oath required, the board was organized by calling Solomon 
Leach to the chair. Present: Solomon Leach and John Q, Adams. 
(Mr. John Langdon who had been elected as a commissioner did not 
appear.) It was resolved: 

1. That that portion of Columbia County commencing at the 
northeast corner of said county embracing townships twelve and thir- 
teen of range twelve, and all that part of townships twelve and thir- 
teen range eleven, lying east of the section line between five and six, 
be set off in a precinct to be known by the name of the "LeRoy Pre- 
cinct" and that Nathan Griffin, James Buoy and Ervin McCall be 
judges of election in said precinct, said election to be held at the 
house of Oliver Langdon. 

This precinct embraced all of the present towns of Randolph, Courtland, 
Springvale and Scott except the west tier of sections in Scott and Springvale. 

2. That that portion of said county embraced in townships ten 
and eleven in range twelve to compose a precinct to be known as the 
"Columbus Precinct," elections to be held at the house of A. P. 
Birdsey and that Asa Proctor, J. T. Lewis and Jeremiah Drake be 
judges of said election. 

This precinct embraced ail of the present towns of Columbus and Fountain 

Prairie, and the city of Columbus and village of Fall River. 

3. That townships ten and eleven of range eleven compose a pre- 
cinct to be known by the name of "Dyers Burgh Precinct" and that 
the elections be held at the house of Landy Sov;ards, and Jonathan 
E. Haight and Henry Pellet be the judges of election in said precinct. 

This precinct embraced the present towns of Otsego and Hampden and the 
village of Rio except a small portion of the village which was detached from 
Lowville. 

4. That town ten, range ten, south half of town eleven range ten 
and east half of town ten range nine compose a precinct to be known 



COLUMBIA COUNTY 27 

by the name of "Lowville Precinct," elections to be held at the house 
of Jacob Low and Wm. H. Young, Henry Herring and Stephen Bray- 
ton be judges of election in said precinct. 

This precinct embraced all of the present towns of Leeds, the sonth half of 
Lowville, and the east half of Arlington. 

5. That west half of town ten range nine, town ten range eight, 
fractional town ten range seven compose a precinct to be known by 
the name of "Pleasant Valley Precinct" and Marston Bartholomew, 
Aaron Chalfant and J. Maynard be judges of said election: elections 
to be held at the liouse of Marston Bartholomew. 

This precinct embraced the present town and village of Lodi, the west half 
of Arlington and the town of "West Point, but the fractional part of town ten 
range six was not included. 

6. That townships eleven, ranges eight and nine, and the south 
half of town twelve range nine, and all that part of town twelve range 
eight lying south of the Baraboo River compose a precinct to be 
known by the name of the"Dekora Precinct;" elections to be held at 
the house of LaFayette Hill, and Joshua W. Rhodes, John Springer 
and Thomas Swearingen be judges of election in said precinct. 

This precinct embraced all of the present town of Dekorra, the south half 
of Pacific and all of Caledonia lying south of the Baraboo River. The name 
was spelled as it appears on the diagram, "Dekora. ' 

7. That all that part of town twelve north of the Baraboo River, 
and town thirteen, and fractional town fourteen range eight; town 
thirteen and north half of twelve range nine, compose a precinct to 
be known as the "Winnebago Portage Precinct:" elections to be 
held at the house of Gideon Low, and that Richard F. Veeder, Daniel 
D. Robertson and Heury Merrell be judges of election in this pre- 
cinct. 

The resolution establishing this precinct appears to have been defective in 
including fractional to rn, fourteen range eight. Town fourteen was not a 
part of Columbia County: doubtless fractional town thirteen ranges 
six and seven was meant. The Menominee* Indian lands in town thir- 
teen remained a part of Portage County. It is doubtful if anything more 
than the Grignon tract, in the city of Portage, and that portion of Fort Win- 
nebago lying east of the Fox River was rightfully included within this pre- 
cinct. 

8. That townships thirteen and twelve and the north half of town 
eleven range ten and one tier of sections on the west side of towns 
twelve and thirteen range eleven compose a precinct to be known by 
the name of the "Wyocinia Precinct;" elections to be held at the 
house of Elbert Dickason, and Charles Spear. Darius Bisbee and 
Harvey Bush be judges of election in said precinct. 



*The name of this tribe of Indians has been spelled in many different ways. 
In preparing the maps which appear herein, the local method in most com- 
mon use, "Menomonie," was followed. Since the maps were engraved a 
bulletin has come to my knowledge showing the manner in which the Bu- 
reau of American Ethnology and the Indian Bureau have agreed upon a sys- 
tem for the spelling of Indian names, and that for the tribe mentioned will be 
followed in these pages, viz: "Menominee." 



28 777^5" FA MIL Y TREE OF 

Tkis precinct embraced the present towns of Marcellon, Wyocena, the north 
half of Lowville and the west tier of sections of the towns of Scott and Spring- 
vale and the village of Pardeeville and appeared on the plat spelled as on the 
diagram, "Wyocenia." 

PART II. 

At a meeting- of the "Commissioners Court" (as the board, adopt- 
ing a New England style, deemed it appropriate to designate its 
meetings) at the house of Gideon Low, at the Winnebago Portage, 
Feb, i6, 1848, John Q. Adams, Joshua J. Guppey and George M. 
Bartholomew were pre'sent. This entry appears on the Journal: 

Name of Dyer's Bargh Precinct [now Otsego and Hampden] changed 
to Springfield Precinct. 

PART III. 

REVISION OF APRIL 3, 1848. 

Commissioners present: J. O. Adams, J. J. Guppey and G. M. 
Bartholomew. There was a revision of election precincts. 

E.rtrart from Journal . 

1. Town thirteen range twelve and the east half of town thirteen 
range eleven and the fractional lots south of it to constitute "Portage 
Prairie Precinct:" elections to be held at Oscar F. Hamilton's: M. 
W. Patton, John Converse and John P. Hardy appointed judges of 
election. 

This precinct embraced the present towns of Randolph, the east half of 
Scott and the lots in the present town of Springvale bordering on Scott. 

2. Town twelve range twelve, and the east half of town twelve 
range eleven, except the fractional lots on the north, constitute "Le- 
Roy Precinct" and elections to be held at Horace Rust's and that 
Julius Williams, Horace Rust and John Randall be judges of election. 

This precinct embraced what is now the town of Courtland and the east 

half of Springvale except the tier of lots on the north side of Springvale. 

3. Towns ten and eleven of range twelve constitute "Columbus 
Precinct" and that J. J. Guppey, J. C. Carr and Lucius Warner be 
judges of election in said precinct. 

This precinct continued to embrace the towns of Columbus and Fountain 

Prairie. 

4. Town ten range eleven constitute "Springfield Precinct." A. 
Topliff, A. Pease and Solomon Meade, judges of election. 

This precinct constituted the present town of Hampden. 

5. Town eleven range eleven constitute "Otsego Precinct" and 
that Johnson King, Horace Dodge and Israel Sayles be judges of 
election. 

This precinct, first known as a part of Dyer's Burgh, remains to the present 
time as Otsego. 



COLUMBIA COUNTY 



29 




30 THE FA MIL Y TREE OF 

6. Town ten range ten and the south half of town eleven range ten 
and east half of town ten range nine compose "Lowville Precinct" 
and Wm. T. Bradley, Edward Clark and Benjamin B. Webb be 
judges of election. 

This precinct remained as first constituted. 

7. The north half of town eleven range ten, town twelve range ten 
except the fractional lots on the north side and west half of town 
twelve range eleven except fractional lots on the north, compose 
"Wyocena Precinct" and Joseph Farrington, Park Bronson and 
Chauncey Spear be judges of election. 

This precinct embraced the north half of Lowville, the west half of Spring- 
vale and all of Wyocena, except the tier of lots on the north side of Wyocena 
and Spriugvale. 

8. Town thirteen range ten and west half of town thirteen range 
eleven with fractional lots south of both of them in town twelve 
ranges ten and eleven, compose "Marcellon Precinct" and that Will- 
iam J. Ensign, Francis Langdon and Almon H. Hoyt be judges of 
election. 

This precinct embraced the present town of Marcellon, the west half of 
Scott, and the tier of lots on the north side of Wyocena and west half of 
Springvale. 

9. Towns eleven and ranges eight and nine and the south half of 
town twelve and that portion of town twelve west of the Baraboo 
River compose "Dekorra Precinct." 

This precinct remained as constituted at first. 

10. Town twelve range eight, except that part lying southwest of 
the Baraboo River, the north half of town twelve range nine and the 
fractional townships north in range eight and nine, compose "Win- 
nebago Portage Precinct." 

This precinct remained as described at first, but the clerical error in its 
description was corrected. 

11. That the west half of town ten range nine, town ten range 
eight, and fractional town ten range seven compose "Pleasant Valley 
Precinct" and William Ct. Simons, I. H. Palmer and T. S. Wells ap- 
pointed judges of election in said precinct; elections to be held at the 
school house in S. E. I4, N. E. I4, S. 27, T. 10, R. 8. 

This precinct remained as first constituted, comprising Lodi, West 

Point and west half of Arlington. 

PART IV. 

An adjourned meeting of the "Commissioners' Court" was held Jan- 
uary 9, 1849, at Columbus, Lafayette Hill and John O. Jones constitut- 
ing the "Court." Up to this time the assessment and collection of 
taxes had been made by county assessors and treasurers and the road 
and school districts were under the jurisdiction of the "Commissioners 
Court. ' ' The town system of government had been provided for by 
the constitution of the state and the "Court" at this meeting proceeded 
to divide the county into towns in the following manner: 



COLUMBIA COUNTY 



31 



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32 THE FAMIL Y TREE OF 

E.rtract from Journal, JauMary !), I84O. 

1. Township number ten range twelve was organized into a town 
and the name of "Columbus" given the said town, and the house of 
A. P. Birdsey designated as the place of holding the first election. 

2. Township number eleven range twelve was organized into a 
town and the name of "Fountain Prairie" was given to said town 
and the house of A. A. Bray ton designated as the place of holding the 
first 'election. 

3. Township twelve range twelve was organized into a town and 
the name of "Portage Prairie" giv'en to said town and the house of 
Horace Rust designated as the place for holding the first election. 

The name of this town was at a later date, Nov. 18, 1852, changed to 
"Courtland" it having been known prior to this as "LeRoy Precinct." 

4. Township number thirteen range twelve was organized into a 
town and the name of "'Randolph" given to said town and the house 
of Oscar T. Hamilton designated as the place for holding the first 
election. 

This town with the east half of town thirteen range eleven (Scott) had 
previously constituted the precinct of "Portage Prairie." 

5. Township thirteen ranges ten and eleven was organized into a 
town and the name of "Marrsellon" given to said town and McDon- 
ald Hotel designated as the place for holding the first election. 

This town with the west half of town thirteen range eleven (Scott) had con- 
stituted the precinct of "Marrsellon." (So spelled on the plat.) 

G. Township number twelve range eleven, was organized into a 
town and the name of "Springvale" given to said town and the house 
of Edward Williams designated as the place for holding the first 
election. 
The east half of town twelve range eleven had constituted a part of LeRoy 
Precinct, and the west half of it had formed a part of "Wyocenia" Precinct. 

7. Township number eleven range eleven was organized into a 
town and the name of "Otsego" given to said town and the house of 
Wayne B. Dyer designated as the place of holding the first election. 

This town had been known as the precinct of Otsego. 

8. Township number ten range eleven was organized into a town 
and the name "Hampden" given to said town and the house belong- 
ing to Cornwall Esmond, situated on the northwest corner of section 
number fifteen designated as the place of holding the first election. 

This town was previously known as "Springfield Precinct." 

9. Townships ten and eleven range ten and the east half of town- 
ship number ten range nine was organized into a town and the name 
"Lowville" given to said town and the house of Jacob Low designat- 
ed as the place of holding the first election. 

This town had previously been known as "Lowville Precinct." At a sub- 
sequent meeting of the Board, Nov. 19, 1849, the north half of town eleven 
range ten was once more made a part of Wyocena. 

10. Townships number twelve, range number ten, was organized 
into a town and the name "Wyocena" [changing the previous spell- 
ing, 'Wyocenia'] given to said town and Richard C. Rockwood's des- 
ignated as the place of holding the first election. 



COLUMBIA COUNTY 33 

At a subsequent meeting of the board the following November, the north 
half of town eleven range ten was reannexed to Wyocena. 

11. The fractional part of townships lying north of the Baraboo 
River and west of the Wisconsin Kiver; also the north half of town- 
ships number twelve and the fractional part of township number 
thirteen range nine in Columbia County was organized into a town 
and the name of "Winnebago Portage" given to said town and the 
Franklin House designated as the place for holding the election. 

12. All that portion of Columbia County lying west of the Wiscon- 
sin River and south of the Baraboo River and the fractional parts 
of townships eleven range nine azid the fractional part of township 
eleven range eight and that part of the south half of town twelve 
range nine lying east of the Wisconsin River was organized into a 
town and the name Dekorra given to said town and the house of Bish- 
op Johnson designated as the place for holding the election. 

This left the town of Dekorra with the same boundaries that the precinct 
of the same name previously had. 

13. The west half of township number ten range nine and town- 
ships number ten range eight and the fractional part of township 
number ten range number seven was organized into a town and the 
name of "Lodi" given to said town and the schoolhouse situated on 
the southeast quarter of the northeast quarter of section number 
twenty-seven township number ten range eight, designated as the 
place for holding the first election. 

This town had previously been known as the precinct of "Pleasant Valley." 

PART V. 
Extract from Journal, Xov. 16, I849. 

At a meeting of the Board held this day, Nov. 16, 1849, it was 

Resolved, That town thirteen range eleven in Columbia County be 
set ofif Irom Marcellon and the town be called "Scott," and that the 
first town meeting be held at the house of William Lang. (In 1S50 an 
effort was made to divide Scott and annex the east half of it to Ran- 
dolph and the west half to Marcellon, but it was unsuccessful.) 

Resolved, That the north half of town eleven range ten be set off" 
from Lowville and attached to the town of Wyocena. 

Other proceedings relating to the town of Lowville were had; when 
it was voted — 

That the north half of town eleven range ten be reannexed to Low- 
ville. 

On motion it was also 

Resolved, That town ten range ten and the east half of town ten 
range nine be organized into a town and the name of "Kossuth" be 
given to said town and the house of C. B. Thompson be designated as 
the place for holding the first town meeting. 

In 1852 the name of this town was changed by act of the Legislature, 
chapter 247, to "Leeds." 



34 THE FAMILY TREE OF 

The "Commissioners Court" had now been relegated to the rear, 
and a County Board of Supervisors had been installed in its place, 
composed of the chairman of each town, on the present general plan. 

The Indian title having been extinguished, an act of the Legislature 
was passed in 1849, which provided, "That all that portion of the 
county contained in townships numbered twelve (12) and thirteen (13) 
north in ranges number six (6), seven (7), eight (8), and nine (9), ly- 
ing and being north and east of the Wisconsin River is hereby an- 
nexed to and made a part of the county of Columbia. 

PART VI. 
Condensed Minutes from tlie Juurnal of Jan. S, IS.'tO. 

At a meeting of the Board Jan. 8, 1850, petitions were presented ask- 
ing that town eleven, range ten, be set off into a separate town to be 
called Dover. 

Also, a petition was presented, praying that a part of town ten, range 
seven, and a piece off the west side of town ten, range eight, one and 
one-half miles wide, be organized into a town to be called Portland. 

The committee on the latter petition reported in favor of setting off 
the town as requested but that it be given the name of Bloomfield, 
whereupon the following resolution was adopted: 

''Resolved, by the Board, That the petition * * * for a division and 
organization of a new town out of the said town of Lodi be granted," 

Whereupon the boundaries of said town were fixed as follows: viz, 
Commencing at the northeast corner of a quarter line and running 
through the center of sections 5, 8, 17, 20, 29, and 32 in town ten, 
range eight, and the name "West Point" was given to said town and 
the house of J. D. Shumway designated as the place for holding the 
first town meeting. 

It was also 

Resolved, by tlie Board, That the name of the town of Winnebago 
Portage be changed to Fort Winnebago. 

Township number thirteen, range nine, of the surveyed portion of 
Columbia County, and also a sufficient (portion) of the unsurveyed 
lands lying on the west side of the Fox River to constitute it a town 
six miles square was organized into a town and the name of "Port 



COLUMBIA COUNTY 



35 













36 THE FAMILY TREE OF 

Hope" was given to said town and the house of A. T. Spicer desig- 
nated as the place for holding the first town meeting. 

The unsurveyed land lying in town thirteen, range eight, and the 
northeast fractional part of town ten, range eight, and the noi'thwest 
fractional part of town twelve, range nine, in Columbia county was at- 
tached to the town of "Fort Winnebago" for town purposes. This was 
a most indefinite description, but the plat made clear what was intended, 
which was to place the Menominee Indian lands within the jurisdic- 
tion of Fort Winnebago, (afterwards Portage City.) 

At a meeting of the Board July 19th, 1850, it was 

Resolved, That section thirty-three in the town of Port Hope be set 
off from said town and attached to the town of Fort Winnebago [Port- 
age]. 

The section was restored to Port Hope Dec. 15th, 1852, and Nov. 
18, 1853, the name of the town was changed to "Fort Winnebago." 

At a meeting of the Board of Supervisors, Nov. 11, 1851,3 petition 
was presented asking that a portion of the towns of Dekorra and 
Fort Winnebago lying west of the Wisconsin River be constituted a 
new town by the name of "Caledonia." The petition was granted, 
and the first town meeting was directed to be held at the house of Alex. 
McDonald on the first Monday of December following. 

It was also voted that certain fractions in town ten, range six, on the 
east side of the Wisconsin River be annexed to town ten, range seven, 
(West Point). This placed the fraction specified in the town of West 
Point, it having been omitted from any town or precinct up to this time. 

PART VII. 
Condensed Minutes from the Journal. 

Nov. 15, 1852, the town of Newport was established with its present 
boundaries. 

Nov. 18, 1853, the name of the town of Port Hope was changed to 
"Fort Winnebago." 

Nov. 18, 1852, the name of the town of Portage Prairie was changed 
to "Courtland." 

Nov. 18, 1852, the town of Lewiston was established with its present 
boundaries, except that portion of town twelve, range eight, lying north 



COL UMBIA CO UN TV 



37 



- t 
5 o 




38 THE FAMILY TREE OF 

of the Wisconsin River, which had been made a part of the town of 
Portage City. Later in the session an ordinance was passed detaching" 
the excepted portion from the town of Portage City and annexing it to 
Lewiston, subject however, to a vote of the people, which was carried 
at the election. 

Nov. 19, 1852, the whole of the present town of Pacific was at- 
tached to the town of Fort Winnebago. [Portage City]. 

Dec. 15, 1852, section thirty-three in town thirteen, range nine, was 
detached from the town of Fort Winnebago [later Portage City] and 
reannexed to Port Hope [later Fort Winnebago]. 

Dec. 17, 1852, the name of the town of Fort Winnebago was 
changed to "Portage City." 

1854. The town of Pacific was organized with its present boundaries. 

1855. At a session of the County Board of Supervisors, a petition 
was presented asking for the organization of the town of Arlington, 
but it did not receive favorable consideration. At the next session of 
the Legislature, 1855, an act was passed organizing the town of Ar- 
lington comprising all of town ten, range nine, except sections six, 
seven, eighteen, nineteen, thirty and thirty-one, the excepted sections 
having been attached to Lodi; and the west half of sections five, eight, 
seventeen, twenty, twenty-one, twenty-nine and thirty-two of town ten, 
range eight, were detached from West Point and given to Lodi. — 
Chapter 244 P. & L. Laws of 1855. 

December 10, 1871, the County Board of Supervisors passed an 
ordinance attaching the six sections on the west side of town ten, range 
nine, to Arlington, thus making the town consist ot a full government 
township. 

Cities and villages were incorporated as follows: Portage, as a city, 
in 1854; Columbus, first as a village in 1864; and as a city in 1874; 
Kilbourn City, as a village (from the town of Newport) in 1868; of 
Randolph, as a village (the east ward from Westford, Dodge County, 
and the west ward from Courtland, Columbia County) in 1870; of Cam- 
bria, as a village (from the towns of Courtland and Randolph) in 1879; 
of Lodi, as a village, in 1872; of Rio, as a village (taken principally 
from Otsego but embracing a small fraction of Lowville) in 18S8; of 
Poynette, as a village, (from the town of Dekorra) in 1895; of Pardee- 



COL UMBIA C O UN T V 



39 




40 THE FA MIL. Y TREE OF 

ville, as a villag-e (taken from Wyocena) in 1S95; and of Fall River, as 
a village (from the town of Fountain Prairie in 1903. 

With the closing of this chapter the story of the mapping of Colum- 
bir. County may be said to have been completed. No other cities or 
villages or the erection of other towns, in the near future, if ever, is 
probable. Some slight alteration in the boundaries of one or two 
towns has been agitated, but not with much earnestness.* 



CHAPTER V. 



THE EVOLUTION OF COLUMBIA COUNTY. 

Having now constructed the Family Tree of Columbia County, let 
us review its evolution and see in what territories, states, counties, 
towns and precincts an "old settler" of the county would have lived 
if he had been here at the time "The Territory Northwest of the Ohio 
River" was organized in 17S7 and had remained in the county until 
the present time. It must be remembered, however, that there was no 
"old settler" within the present limits of Columbia County as early as 
1787, and its soil had but rarely been pressed by the foot of a white 
man as early as that time. The barks of Raddison, Grosielliers, Mar- 
quette, Joliet, Hennepin, LeSueur, DuLuth, Carver and probably of 
Nicolet and other adventurous spirits, had floated on the Fox in Co- 
lumbia County, but their missions were for adventure, discovery and 
fur trading rather than for occupancy, and it was not until 1792 that any 
white person became an "inhabitant" of Columbia County. In that 
3'ear Laurent Barth, a French Canadian, established himself here, to 
transport goods across the portage between the Fox and Wisconsin 
Rivers, having obtained a permit from the Winnebago Indians to en- 
gage in that occupation. The next white resident at the portage was 
Jean Baptiste Lecuyer, a brother in law of DeKaury, who had also ob- 
tained permission to transport goods. Our old friend Augustin Grig- 
non came in 1801, although he had previously been at the portage, and 
spent a couple of winters here, but did not become a permanent resi- 

*At an election in November 1848, the people of the county in pursuance of 
an act of the Legislature, voted upon the question of detaching the territory 
west of the Wisconsin River from Columbia County and attaching it to Sauk. 
The vote stood "For division, 103; against division, 246." 



COLUMBIA COUNTY 41 

dent of Columbia County, but returned to the Lower Fox and spent 
his last days at Butte-des-Morts in i860. Probably the honor of hav- 
ing been the first permanent settler at the Winnebago Portage, belongs 
to lean Baptiste Lecuyer,* as he remained here until his death in 1810, 
and his bones repose in Portage soil, near the junction of Conant and 
Adams street, they having been exposed to view in 1900 by some gov- 
ernment surveyors who were establishing the boundaries of the "Grig- 
non Claim," Lecuyer's grave having been mentioned in the patent as 
one of the monuments. And so Lecuyer may be fairly regarded as 
the first person, aside from the aborigines, to become permanently lo- 
cated at the Winnebago Portage. And so we will regard him, for our 
present purpose as our "old settler" who has remained here for more 
than a century. 

Our "old settler's" official business, then, would have been trans- 
acted first at Marietta, Washington County, Northwest Territory; a 
little later it would have been at Detroit, Wayne County, Northwest 
Territory, if he resided anywhere in territory the waters of which fiowed 
to Lake Michigan; if he did not reside in such territory he was in no 
organized county, and we will not undertake to determine where he 
would have gone to record his deeds, inasmuch as he didn't have any 
to record. Congress next transferred his allegiance to Indiana, 1800, 
with "Sainte Vincennes on the Wabash" as his Capital, but in 1809 he 
found himself in the Territory of Illinois, but he was in no organized 
county or town until 1809, when he was, by proclamation, made a res- 
ident of St. Clair County, with his county seat at Kaskaskia, which was 
also the Capital of the Territory. In 1812, however, he was transferred 
to Madison County and his county seat was "at the house of Thomas 
Kirkpatrick" (later, Edwardsville. j There he remained until 1817, 
when the town of Silver Creek (now Olive) in Madison County was or- 
ganized, by the Court of Common Pleas of the county, which embraced 
three-fourths of Illinois and all of Wisconsin, the center of political 
activity being at a small settlement of that name in the southwest part 
of the county, which is now called "Olive," the town having a popula- 



*This name appears in various forms in documents and historical papers, 
as "Lecuyer," "L'Ecuyer," "Ecuyer" and "Ecair:" the last method, while 
quite erroneous, probably gives the best understanding of how it was usually 
pronounced. 



42 THE FA MIL Y TREE OF 

tion according to the last census of 773. The next year, 1818, the Ter- 
ritory of Michigan was organized and the whole of the present Terri- 
tory of Wisconsin was attached to it, and Gov. Cass issued his procla- 
mation establishing the counties of Brown and Crawford. The divid- 
ing line between these counties ran directly north from Illinois through 
the center of "portage" leaving our "old settler" who was transporting 
his goods across it, one moment in Brown County, with his county 
seat at Green Bay, and the next moment in Crawford County with his 
county seat at Prairie du Chien. His residence was placed on wheels 
still further by the erection of the county of Iowa, in 1819 when, instead 
of discharging his supplies at the Wisconsin River in Crawford County 
he would unload them in the town of "Ouisconsin," Iowa County, which 
had been established by an act of the Michigan Legislature, passed July 
27, 1830. In 1834 the territorial council of IMichigan established the 
county of Milwaukee, which was made to embrace the six southeast- 
ern towns of Columbia County and an "old settler" living in either of 
these towns would have been required to go to the town and county of 
Milwaukee to attend to his public affairs. 

By an act of the territorial legislature of Wisconsin, approved Dec. 
7, 1836, Columbia County, (first called "Portage") was placed on the 
map. The county was very nearly identical with the present county of 
Columbia but it embraced the four western towns of Dodge and a small 
fraction of Sauk, and left a portion of Caledonia attached to Crawford. 
The legislation concerning the territory referred to is fully narrated 
elsewhere. 

Having what has been detailed in the foregoing clearly before him, the 
reader may, with the aid of the accompanying maps, determine where 
our "old settler" had lived from time to time prior to 1846, and where 
he was to exercise his rights of citizenship after the organization of 
Columbia County. 

For the purpose of a rifi'z^Wi? let it be considered that our "old set- 
tler" had established himself at some particular point in the county and 
continued to reside there until this, the semi-centennial year of the ex- 
istence of Portage as a city, it having been incorporated as such in 
1854. 

If he had established himself in what now constitutes the City of Port- 



COLUMBIA COUNTY 43 

age he would, at different times, have been a resident of "Winnebago 
Portage Precinct;"^- town of Fort Winnebago, Portage City, or of one 
of the towns of Caledonia, Port Hope, Lewiston, or Fort Winnebago, 
according to his location in the city, or he may, perchance, have been 
occupying lands belonging to the Menominee Indians, as many settlers 
were. 

If he had located in Columbus he would have had a continuous 
residence in that town or city, first established as a "Precinct." 

If he had "taken up land" in Randolph in 1846 he would at first 
have been an inhabitant of " LeRoy Precinct;" in 1848 he would have 
been in "Portage Prairie Precinct" and a year later he would have 
been, as now, firmly established in the town of "Randolph." 

If at first his habitation had been in the east half of Arlington he 
would have been in "Lowville Precinct," and if in the west half of it he 
would have been in "Pleasant Valley Precinct;" but in 1850 he would 
have been in the town of "Kossuth,' ' if in the east half of it, and in Lodi 
if in the west half. In 1854 ^^ town was organized under the present 
name, Arlington, but the west tier of sections were attached to Lodi, 
but were restored to it in 1S72. 

If his cabin had been located in Hampden he would have written 
"Dyer's Burgh" as his residence, which was changed a year later to 
"Springfield" which remained as the name of his precinct until a year 
later when he became permanently located in "Hampden." 

\{ he had set his stakes in Fort Winnebago he would have been in- 
cluded in the "Vvinnebago Portage Precinct" at first, if east of the Fox 
River, and on the lands of the Menominee Indians, if west of it. In 
1850 he would have been in the town of "Port Hope," which became 
the town of Fort Winnebago in 1853. 

If he had made the present town of Lewiston his' abiding place he 
would have been on the "Indian lands" prior to the extinguishment of 
the Indian title, the treaty of cession having been signed at Lake Poygan 
Oct. 18, 1848, and having been confirmed Jan. 23, 1849, but lor a time 



*Prior to the adoption of the State Constitution in 1848, the most of the 
business now transacted by towns devolved upon a "Board of County Com- 
missioners," the Precincts which were established at first being for conven- 
ience in voting for Commissioner, so it will be understood tnat the divisions 
of the County, recited in the following' were precincts up to 1848, but became 
"towns" after the constitution was adopted. 



44 THE FA MIL Y TREE OF 

after the org;anization of the town in 1852, he would have been a resi- 
dent of the town of Portage City, if he lived in fractional town ten, 
ranges six and seven, which territory, however, became a part of Lew- 
iston in 1854, by vole of the people. 

It is not deemed important to note the transition of our "old settler" 
from one precinct or town to another at greater length. A glance at 
the accompanying maps will enable the student to easily ascertain what 
changes in local government he may have experienced while a resident 
of Columbia County, as a preceding chapter has recited the jurisdictions 
he was subject to at an earlier date. 

So, wishing him unmeasured happiness for another century, whether 
domiciled in a "wike-up" on earth or in "mansions in the skies," we 
will leave him to ponder and marvel over "what wonders have been 
wrought" since he first looked upon the waters of "Ouisconsin," toted 
his birch over the "Wauona," stalked for the antlered buck in the 
glades and over the prairies, and put out his line of traps for the furs 
of the rat and the beaver over on the Neenah in "The Early Day" 
of delightful memory, when they rise up and pass in review before him. 



CHAPTER \T. 

THE FIRST SETTLERS OF COLUMBIA COUNTY. 

Who was the first white man to visit Columbia County ? This ques- 
tion may never be definitely determined, but all historians are agreed 
that Jean Nicolet was the first white man to visit Wisconsin. Nicolet 
was a French explorer sent out upon a western expedition by Samuel 
de Champlain, Governor of New France, to learn what he might about 
the tales he was hearing of great rivers and bodies of waters to the 
westward, for it must be remembered that everything west of the great 
lakes at that time was an absolutely unknown region to white people. 
Nicolet reached the territory we now call Wisconsin about 1634. He 
ascended the Fox River as far as the village of the Mascoutens, at least, 
but wrote about his whereabouts so indefinitely that it can only be 
guessed how far he ascended the Fox; but Butterfield, who probably 
gave the subject more attention than any other historian, concludes that 
he did not ascend the Fox any farther than to the village of the Mas- 



COLUMBIA COUNTY 



45 



coLitens, which he locates, to his own satisfaction, as being in Green 
Lake County, and then declares that "Nicolet never ascended the Fox 
as far as Columbia County. ' ' Perhaps he did not, but it seems incredible 
that Nicolet, when at the very threshold of the point where he could 
learn the most about the object of the mission upon which he had been 
sent, should turn back with having acquired but very little informa- 
tion of value to Champlain. Mr. Butterfield's views cannot be ac- 
cepted as conclusive upon the slimsy evidence he presents to sustain 
them, which is far from satisfactory. 

Mr. Butterfield located the Mascoutens in Green Lake County by 
ignoring Marquette's journal, in which he, Marquette, stated that he 
reached the Mascouten village "three leagues from the portage" and 
concluding that he must have meant "thirty leagues from the portage." 
This view has also been adopted by others who have written upon the 
subject. Without accepting this view as being correct, (the writer be- 
lieving it to be absolutely incorrect,) the disputed question may be dis- 
missed, while all agree that Nicolet was the first white man to ascend 
the Fox, exactly how far up he came being of lesser importance. So 
we leave all question about who was the first white man to visit the 
"portage," Nicolet or Groseilliers [pronounced Gro-zay-yay] and 
Radisson, or Marquette and Joliet, for others to guess about, for no 
one can do more, and proceed to determine, as well as we may, who 
was the first white man to settle in Columbia County. 

Those who came here first, aside from the Indians, were French 
Canadians of mixed blood. Moreover they were traders, or adven- 
turers, who came here with no purpose of becoming settlers, in the 
common acceptance of the term, and tarried but a short time and 
sought new fields for trade and adventure; of this class were Laurent 
Barth and family, James Porlier and Charles Reaume who came in 
1793, and traded for a short time with the Indians and transported 
goods over the "portage;" soon after came the famous old Indian 
chieftain, DeKaury (Scha-chip-ka-ka), who founded a village about 
three miles above the "portage" (Sec. 10) on what afterwards became 
known, locally, as "Waggoner's Bluff." Then came, in 1798, Jean B. 
Lecuyer, a brother-in-law of DeKaury and, in 1801, Capt. Augustin 
Grignon, appeared on the scene and also engaged in transportation and 



46 THE FAMILY TREE OF 

other business incident thereto, but none of them could be regarded 
as "settlers" in the proper sense of the term, unless we except Lecuy- 
er who did obtain certain landed property rights, which, with those of 
Grignon, were subsequently recognized by the Government and so, in 
the case of Lecuyer, at least, he settled, or at least became permanent- 
ly located here, for he lived the balance of his life and was buried here 
in i8io, and his grave is one of the landmarks mentioned in the deed 
patented to Grignon conveying the lands of "Webb & Bronson's plat 
of the town of Fort Winnebago" to him. [Near corner of Conant and 
Adams streets,] 

So we eliminate all of the men named as being neither settlers nor 
white men in the fullest sense of the term, for their blood was modified, 
in some degree at least, by that of their brethren of the blankets, as it 
was of all others, of whom we have any knowledge, who came here 
prior to the advent of the troops at the portage, in 182S, to establish 
Fort Winnebago. In 1831 Capt. Gideon Low reported at the Fort 
for army duty, and in 1834 Hon. Henry Merrell came, both of whom 
remained the balance of their lives, and so might, very properly be 
called the "first settlers," but they did not purchase land at once — and 
right to the term of "first settler" has been confined to the man who 
first "took up land" and entered upon its cultivation in the county. 
And so, accepting this view as "history," the honor of "first settler" 
belongs to Wallis Rowan who settled in Poynette, and acquired in due 
form the northeast quarter of the southeast quarter of section thirty- 
four, township eleven, north of range nine, east, the patent issuing 
June 6,- 1836. 

The "Grignon Tract," or "French claim No. 21" before alluded to, 
which was the beginning of Portage, was patented to him by President 
Andrew Jackson, April 26, 1832, and this tract, in fact, was the first one 
conveyed to an individual in Columbia County by the government, 
Rowan's being the next one. 



CHAPTER Vn. 

INDIAN OCCUPANCY. 

In considering the early occupancy of Columbia County the exis- 
tence of the aborigines must not be altogether ^ignored. ^ Samuel de 



COLUMBIA COUNTY 47 

Champlain, as early as 1615, heard of a tribe of Indians living upon 
the Fox River, called Mashkoutenec, or the Fire Nation,* but which 
became better known in after years as the Mascoutens. Their villages 
were scattered at various points along the Fox River and they claimed 
as part of their hunting grounds the territory now included in Colum- 
bia County. In their neighborhood were their kindred, the Kickapoos, 
Miamis and the Weas, and portions of these tribes, at least, were at 
times occupying the villages of the Mascoutens. They gradually mi- 
grated southward and eventually disappeared altogether as a separate 
tribe and their grounds were occupied by the Foxes or Outagamis and 
their relatives the Sacs, who in turn eventually migrated to the west 
and southwest. Upon their disappearance the Winnebagoes, "Men of 
the Sea," came up from the region about Green Bay and occupied the 
territory, but they made no claim, to the territory west of the Fox 
River and north of the Wisconsin, which embraces the towns of New- 
port, Lewiston, that portion of Fort Winnebago west of the Fox, the 
village of Kilbourn City and a portion of the city of Portage, which 
was claimed by the Menominees, although this tribe never actually 
occupied any portion of Columbia County. By treaties with the Win- 
nebagoes, first at Prairie du Chien, August i, 1829, and three years 
later at Fort Armstrong, Rock Island, all of the lands of the Winne- 
bagoes in Columbia County were relinquished except that portion which 
was west of the Wisconsin River (Caledonia), but in November of 
1837, they ceded to the general government all of their lands east of the 
Mississippi River. 

The claim of the Menominees to the lands already referred to had 
been recognized by the general government, but by treaty with them, 
confirmed Jan. 23, 1849, they sold their lands and all of the lands which 
had been claimed by Indians had been relinquished to the general gov- 
ernment, but the Menominees remained in possession of their land 
until 1 85 1, when it was delivered to the general government. 

Never at any time had the Menominees occupied with their villages 

*The etymology of Mashkoutenec is disputed. Allouez and Marquette 
translate it as the Hurons did "Fire Nation," but Dablon, Charlevoix and 
Schoolcraft and others, including Secretary Thwaites of the Wisconsin State 
Historical Society treat it as a mistake and say it is derived from Muskou- 
tenec, a prairie. Accepting this as correct, the Mascoutens should be known 
as "Men of the Prairie" or "Prairie People" instead of the "Nation deFeu," 
or "Fire Nation." 



48 THE FA MIL Y TREE OF 

any point in Columbia County, but it was different with the Winneba- 
goes. The larger portion of the tribe is on the government reserva- 
tion established for them in Nebraska, but Columbia County continues 
to be the abode of straggling bands of them from whose camps the 
descendants of DeKaury, Yellow Thunder and Mi-ja-jin-a-k,a (Dixon) 
annually depart for the blueberry plains and cranberry marshes to re- 
plenish their finances, and to trap rats on the. Neenah in season, and in- 
dulge in fire water out of season, but give no evidence of "passing 
away. " Lo is with us to stay. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

PAPER CITIES IN COLUMBIA COUNTY. 

Columbia County in its early history had the usual experiences of 
newly organized counties, the platting of "paper cities;" that is, the 
laying out of towns which were believed would become important in 
time, in some cases, while in others they were platted for purely specu- 
lative purposes. The plats would be nicely engraved and sent abroad 
and lots were sold in some of them in considerable numbers, but in 
a few instances only were there any special benefits resulting to the 
speculators. It is but just to state, however, that in nearly every case 
there were substantial reasons for thinking that the expected city would 
materialize. But there had to be more substantial reasons for the build- 
ing of a city than a "good location," for natural causes would deter- 
mine their destiny in the end. 

The paper cities of Columbia County are here briefly referred to. 

SWAN LAKE TOWN SITES. 

The recent platting of "Oakwood Park" on the northerly side of 
Swan Lake, near its easterly end, by H. E. Purdy, recalls the fact that 
nearly seventy years ago there were some people who saw the litde 
lake and, appreciating its beauties and advantageous location, proceed- 
ed to take time by the forelock and laid out several town sites of mag- 
nificent proportions and much pretentions on its shores, so much so 
that a suspicion forces itself that the proprietors were banking upon the 
gullibility of eastern capitalists more than they were upon the immedi- 



COLUMBIA COUNTY 49 

ate prospects of a thriving population for their embryo cities. Be that 
as it may, their town sites were well located and had much to commend 
them, only they were rather ahead of the times. It is not probable that 
any very important villages, or cities, will soon be found on the banks 
of Swan Lake, but with the constantly increasing demand for summer 
homes for the families of people in the large cities, Swan Lake is sure 
to come, at no distant day, into prominence for its beauty and accessi- 
bility are sure to commend it to the public. 

WINNEBAGO CITY. 

This plat was executed by Larned B. Harkness, (attorney in fact for 
Everson P. Maynard), and was recorded in Brown County, Oct. 24, 
1836. The plat appears to be on lots 7, 8 and 9 of section 6, and 12 
of section 5, town 12, range 10, on ,the south side of Swan Lake at 
its easterly end. on Meyer's land. The volume of deeds, which was 
copied from the records of Brown County, shows a large number of 
conveyances of town lots in this plat, the late Simeon Mills, of Madi- 
son, being the purchaser of a considerable number. Some of the con- 
veyances give lots in "addition to Winnebago City" which shows that 
the plat was enlarged by an addition on the west covering probably, 
what is known as the "Wardle farm" but there is no plat of the addi- 
tion on file showing where it was situated. There are public squares 
shown on the plat, and all that was needed for a city was some in- 
habitants, but if the city was ever occupied by anybody, I never heard 
of it. The streets running north and south complimented the noted 
men of the nation and were named respectively: Clay, Johnson, Van 
Buren, Jackson, Adams, Madison, Monroe, Jefferson, Washington, 
Mineral, Wisconsin, Broadway, Cat Fish, Rock River, Market, North 
and New York, while those running east and west were Maine, Milwau- 
kee, Chicago, Vyinnebago, Henry, Warren, Green and High and the 
name of one is illegible. I find no record of the vacation of this plat. 

WISCONSINAPOLIS. 

This was the somewhat pretentious name given to a village plat on 
the north side of Swan Lake which was executed by Dr. Lyman Foot, 
an army surgeon, and C. McDougall, and was filed Jan. 3, 1837. The 
plat covered all of section i, town 12, range 9, north of Swan Lake 
in Pacific and extended north to Stone Quarry Hill in section 36, town 



50 THE FA MIL Y TREE OF 

13, range 9, in the town of Fort Winnebago, joining the "Military 
Reservation" on the west. A "Public Square" was laid out in about 
the middle of the plat 824 by 912 feet and another a little to the east of 
the small ponds close by the stone quarry which was 616 by 368 feet. 
The little lakes were designated "good water." The streets running 
east and west were numbered First, Second, etc., up to Twenty- first 
street, First street fronting on Fox River. The streets running north 
and south were named respectively: Portage, Catlin, Spring, Zard, 
Dodge, State, Patterson, Cutler, Frazer, Dade and Canal. Why this 
plat was suffered to lapse into obscurity without any attempt to "boom 
it," I don't know, for really the scheme was by no means a chimerical 
one and had many elements to commend it. I do not find that there 
were ever any conveyances of lots in this town plat or that it was ever 
formally vacated. The journals of the territorial legislature do show, 
however, that when the location of the territorial capital was under 
consideration in 1836, in the legislative council, "Wisconsinapolis" re- 
ceived on one ballot 6 of the 13 votes. This was probably more com- 
plimentary than in earnest, for "Wisconsin City" in the town of West 
Point, received a like vote as did Portage, and a dozen othei; points 
were complimented in a like manner on subsequent ballots, Madison 
being finally selected. 

IDA. 

No plat of this town site appears on the county records and none is 
to be found in the archives of the State Historical Society, but it is 
known that the plat was situated on the north side of Swan Lake, sec- 
tion 6, town 12, range 9, to the east of "Wisconsinapolis," on the 
identical spot where "Oakwood Park" is located, the land having been 
entered-by L, B. Harkness and presumably was platted by him. 

KENTUCKY CITY. 

This was the name of a town site platted in 1837, which was super- 
seded ten years later by the plat of the village of Dekorra. There was 
a tradition for many years, which is still entertained by many, that 
Dekorra was one of the places complimented by the legislative council 
with 6 of the 13 votes of the territorial council when the legislature 
had the location of the capital of Wisconsin under consideration in 
1836, and so the remark is often made that "Dekorra lacked but one 



COLUMBIA COUNTY 51 

rote of beinq; made the capital of the state."' I disHke to destroy this 
plea-ant delusion, but history is history. Dekorra did not exist at all, 
not even as a paper city in 1836, when the capital was located. De- 
korra Precinct, however, for some time prior to the organization of Co- 
lumbia County, and while a part of the county of Iowa, embraced all 
of the southwestern part of the county, which included what subse- 
quently became the town of West Point and "Wisconsin City," in that 
town, was the place that received six votes, so the people of Dekorra 
must dismiss the pleasant delusion they have hugged for lo! these many 
years, that their village once upon a time came near being selected as 
the capital of the state. 

Thev may find some consolation, however, for having their fallacy 
so ruthlessly brushed away, in the knowledge that when Portage Coun- 
ty was organized in December, 1836, the county seat was established 
at "Winnebago City" but on the 12th of January, 1838, it was removed 
to "Kentucky City" (Dekorra) where it remained until 1844, when it 
was removed to Plover, over the other contestant. Fort Winnebago. 
As Portage County, up to this time, remained attached to Dane Coun- 
ty for judicial purposes, Kentucky City never actually became a county 
seat. 

BALTIMORE CITY. 

This was the name of a town site located in the town of Pacific, on 
lots 3, 4 and 5, section 33 where the Portage and Mazomanie road lead- 
ing south crosses the Duck Creek near the Wisconsin River. 

Mr. Larned B. Harkness was the owner of the land on which the 
town site was situated and presumably, was its progenitor as he was 
engaged in the town site business, as many an eastern "get rich quick" 
investor could testify, for he had platted Winnebago City on the south 
bank of Swan Lake and Ida on the north bank and has planned, on . 
paper, a canal to connect these cities. 

The city never became densely occupied, McEwen's little tavero, 
erected principally for the entertainment of the rivermen who tied up 
their rafts occasionally at the mouth of Duck Creek, having been the only 
building, I think, in the city, and that disappeared long ago. But the 
' 'lone grave' ' that the wayfarer saw for many years, on the south side 
of the creek, near the roadway, to the east, surrounded by a palisade, 
still remains (although I think the pickets have disappeared) and John 



52 THE FAMILY TREE OF 

Hamilton is the sole tenant of Baltimore City. Hamilton was a Scotch- 
man who entertained himself with his bag-pipe and gave eternal rest 
to the neighbors and found his own, away from home and kindred, un- 
der the little mound on the banks of Duck Creek. At the time of his 
death he had a small brickyard in the village of Kentucky City (De- 
korra) which was not far away. 

PAUQUETTE. 

The territory now embraced within the village of Poynette was orig- 
inally platted as "Pauquette." The plat was executed March i8, 1837, 
and filed April 7, by Lt. A. S. Hooe and Wallis Rowan as proprietors. 
Ex-Gov. Doty filed at the same time an acknowledgment that he was 
proprietor of so much of the town as was situated on the west half of 
the southeast quarter of the southeast quarter of section 34, town 11, 
range 9. §The plat covered one square mile and was divided by a north 
and south line between sections 34 and 35. 

The makers of the plat seemed to have been impressed with the be- 
lief that the name of their village should be supplemented with street 
nomenclature to correspond and, doubtless so inspired by Gov. Doty, 
who had a fondness for the aborigines, the following names were given 
to the streets. 

Running East ajid West — Seminole, Mohican, Chickasaw, Seneca, 
Saginaw, North Water, South Water, Kansas, Creek, Pottowattamie, 
Delaware,^Beaver,'^Fox. 

Running North a?id South — Iowa, Pawnee, Kickapoo, Ottoe, Win- 
nebago, Ottawa, Osage, Shawnee, Cherokee, Chippewa, Menominee, 
Main, Oneida, Stockbridge, Mohawk. 

It does not appear that any lots ever were sold in this plat, which 
seems to have^fallen stillborn, although we cannot but regret that the 
name of the village and its streets, was not retained for the village of 
"Poynette" which was platted later. 

WISCONSIN CITY. 

As statedjn a previous paragraph "Wisconsin City" which was platted 
in 1836, stands on a beautiful plateau on lot 5 of section 8, and lot 4 of 
section 9, extending perhaps to lot i of section 17, town 10, range 7, 
on the farms now occupied by George Cook and John Costigan, and 
was one of the places complimented with six votes for to seven against 



COLUMBIA COUNTY 53 

as the capital of the state by the territorial council in 1836. This pa- 
per city is referred to in the Wisconsin Historical Collections as being 
".situated in the bend of the river," on a beautiful eminence, command- 
ing- a splendid view of the stream with two long public landings front- 
ing the river; a public square for territorial use of two blocks; Frank- 
lin, LaFayette and Washington squares, each four blocks — each block 
260 feet square; three market places, three blocks in length, and 200 
feet wide. Hon. Isaac H. Palmer of Lodi, confirmed this description, 
adding that he visited the place in 1837, with a view of purchasing the 
city — "It was then" he says "in its glory, with the stakes all standing, 
or enough to show the public grounds."* 

This paper city, tor it was never anything more, was erroneously sup- 
posed to have been located in Iowa County, but a map in the State His- 
torical rooms shows it to have been located as above stated. It never 
materialized even into a hamlet, with a blacksmithshop, but the loca- 
tion is one of great natural beauty, fit to be the capital of a great state. 

WISCONSIN. 

This was the name of a plat at the foot of the Lower Dells of the Wis- 
consin River, in the town of Newport, which became a village of con- 
siderable importance, but when the La Crosse and Milwaukee R. R. 
Co. located the line of their road further up stream and Byron Kilbourn 
platted Kilbourn City, the inhabitants of Wisconsin moved their houses 
and other belongings up to the new town site and Wisconsin Village 
became a reminiscence only. What was once a prosperous village is 
now but an ordinary farm. 

Plats of other town sites have been made from time to time and filed 
with the Register of Deeds, but which never became incorporated. 
Those of Arlington, Okee, Doylestown and Wyocena" hold their own" 
at least, and furnish the farmers of the vicinity with good facilities for 
disposing of their produce and supply the wants of the rural communi- 
ties with the merchandise most needed by them. 

The villages of Otsego, Leeds Center, Dekorra and Randolph Cen- 
ter have yielded up the advantages which they, at one time, were 
thought to possess, to others more favorably located on railroads near 

^Wisconsin Historical Collections, Vol. VI. p. 478. 



54 THE FA MIL Y TREE OF 

by, while those of Oshaukuta and Inch have gone a ghmmering and 
have disappeared from the map altogether. 

"Emancipation Ferry," (Twiggs Ferry) in Fort Winnebago, and 
"Milford" at Dates Mill, in the same town, and "Potterville" in Scott, 
and DeSoto in West Point, also had their visions of importance on the 
map, but they never advanced beyond the stage of mazy speculation,, 
and never found a place on the map. 



CHAPTER IX. 

THE NOMENCLATURE OF COLUMBIA COUNTY, 

In connection with the foregoing narrative of the evolution oi Co- 
lumbia County, the origin of the names which appear in its history may 
be appropriate. While that of .every town cannot be stated, what {;> 
given in the following is believed to be authentic. 

WINNEBAGO PORTAGE— The term "portage," as applied t» 
this point, meant the "carrying place" of the early voyagers or trad- 
ers across the narrow strip of land that separates the Fox and Wis- 
consin Rivers, which was within the territory of the Winnebago In- 
dians, their name for it being "Wau-wau-ah-na" or, as it became con- 
tracted to, "Wauona." It was called "Winnebago Portage" to dis- 
tinguish it from the "portage" between the Waupaca and Plover Riv- 
ers, which was known as the "Plover Portage," Wauona, in the 
Winnebago Indian tongue, translated literally, means, "carry on tl.e 
shoulder." 

PORT HOPE— What constitutes the present town of Fort Winne- 
bago was first christened "Port Hope." It having become known 
that it was a part of the plan of the Fox and Wisconsin Rivers Im- 
provement Company to establish a landing, or port, at a certain point 
on the Fox River, near where the residence of. the late Jonathan Whit- 
ney stood, Mr. W. hastened to the land office and entered the land and 
made a plat of a town site, to which he gave the name "Port Hope," 
and he also procured the establishment of a postoffice there with th.it 
name. The term "Port Hope" was simply expressive of a /lope that a 
/(?;-■/ would be established there, but the port never materialized, and 
the hope that it would vanished as in a dream in the Long Ago. 



COLUMBIA COUNTY 55 

NEWPORT — In the early days, when the lumbermen rafted their 
products to market, there was a certain point on the Wisconsin River, 
a little below Kilbourn City, on its west bank, where they were accus- 
tomed to tie up their rafts, but when a new town was about to be or- 
ganized on the east side of the river the tying up point was changed to 
that side, which was a new port or landing for the rivermen, and "New- 
port" was given the name of the town when it was organized, — A. 
Chamberlin. 

LEWISTON — When this town was organized its name was given to 
it in honor of ex-Sheriff E. F. Lewis, the first settler of the town; Mr. 
L. himself had proposed "Beaver Creek" as the name. The beaver 
dams of the town retain their original distinctness. 

CALEDONIA — This town was first settled by Scotchmen who gave 
to it the name of their old Caledonia. 

MARCELLON — At a gathering of the early settlers of the town, 
then a part of "Wyocenia precinct," they decided to ask for a post- 
ofiice for their convenience, and the petition that was sent forward 
asked that the postoffice be named "Massillon" in honor of the great 
French pulpit orator, but the postofiice department suggested that 
some other name be selected as there was already a very important of- 
fice of that name in Ohio. The organization of a town by the name 
of Massillon was then being agitated which was soon accomplished, 
but the scribe who handled the pen wrote "Marrsellon" instead, and it 
appeared on the plat as "Marrsellon," but was afterward changed to 
Marcellon, which signifies nothing in its present form. — W. C. Albee. 

DEKORRA — This town was named after the famous Winnebago 
Chief of that name. The spelling of the name of it, as here given, is as 
it was finally adoped by the Board of County Commissioners of Colum- 
bia County, although it was first spelled with one "r. " It usually appears 
in the Wisconsin Historical Collections as "DeKauray." Perhaps the 
spelling is a matter of taste as the old chief never spelled his own name 
at all. It sometimes appears as "Decorra," "Dekorrah," "De- 
corah," "DaKouray," "Dekora," "Decorri," and if there is any other 
way in which it can be spelled it has probably been spelled that way, 
too. "Dekorra," however, was himself named "DeCarrie" after Se- 
brevoir De Carrie, an officer in the French army who was mortally 
wounded at Quebec in 1760, and who had previously been a fur 



56 THE FA MIL Y TREE OF 

trader among the Winnebago Indians. The old chief was a reputed 
grandson of De Carrie, but that may admit of some question, for the 
Dekorra's that still abide with us do not give much evidence of an- 
cestors of high degree, although the old chief was worthy of the high 
esteem in which he was held by the whites. So it would seem that the 
■"Dekorra" of today, traced back to its origin, is "De Carrie." 

POYNETTE— As early as 1836, Lieut. A. S. Hooe and Wallis 
Rowan filed a plat of the village of "Pauquette" which was identical 
with the present village of "Poynette." At a session of the board of 
supervisors in 1850, an attempt was made to organize the town of 
"Pauquette" embracing portions of the present towns of Dekorra and 
Arlington, but it failed. About the same time, or a little earlier, a pe- 
tition was sent to Washington asking for the establishment of a post- 
office with that name, but it was so written as to resemble "Poynette" 
instead of "Pauquette," as the scribe had intended, and it was so named 
at first. No attempt to have the error corrected appears to have been 
luade, and it was allowed to stand, meaningless as it was, and the name 
of the pleasant little village followed the name of the postofifice with 
the final e added, and it is likely it will always remain so, thus defraud- 
ing the famous old scout and trader of what was designed to be an en- 
during compliment to him. 

WYOCENA — The origin of the name of this town is involved in 
some obscurity. That it is not ol Indian derivation is certain, for no 
Indian, Winnebago, Menominee, Pottawattomie, Sac or other tribe 
that occupied territory in interior Wisconsin, has been found who could 
recognize the word, A variety of reasons for its selection has been ad- 
vanced, but the only thing positively known is that it was named by 
Elbert Dickason, the first settler of the town. The story that has ob' 
tained general credence in the town is that the Major "dreamed it out" 
while cogitating over a name for the village he imagined was to spring 
up there, and maybe he did. The more probable reason is found in the 
opinion of Major Dickason' s son, A. }., which was that it was carved 
out of the words Timievelly Senna (Wild Senna) which, he said, was 
found in that vicinity in early times, which however, is doubted by 
some of the inhabitants of the town at the present time. This theory 
may be accepted with much assurance that it is correct if Wild Senna 
is or ever was found there. It is not a violent stretch of the imagina- 



COLUMBIA COUNTY 57 

tion to see the evolution of "Wild Senna" to "Wyocena." It is an 
appropriate and a musical name at all events. 

ARLINGTON — Through the influence of Mr. Jeremy Bradley, one 
of the early leading citizens of the town, a postoffice had been estab- 
lished in the town called "Arlington," the name having been selected 
by him without any special purpose in view other than to have a pleas- 
ant name for the office. When the town came to be organized the 
name which had been selected for the postoffice naturally found favor. 
—H. J. Sill. 

KOSSUTH — This was the name first given to Leeds and the east 
half of Arlington. The name was selected in honor of the illustrious 
Magyar, Louis Kossuth, who was making a tour of the United States 
about that time advocating Hungarian independence, his eloquent 
speeches arousing great enthusiasm. 

LEEDS — This name was selected in honor of Leeds, of Yorkshire, 
some of whose leading citizens were from that locality. 

DYER'S BURGH — This was the name of the precinct now con- 
stituting the towns of Otsego and Hampden and was given to it in com- 
pliment to Wayne B. Dyer, one of the very early settlers of Otsego. 

HAMPDEN — This town was first known as a part of "Dyer's Burgh 
Precinct" which was subsequently changed to "Springfield" and later 
still was given its present name. Presumably this name was selected 
in honor of the great English patriot, John Hampden, whose fame was 
so dear to Englishmen, by Thomas B. Haslam, a sturdy old English- 
man who had made his residence in that town. 

COLUMBUS — This name was selected, of course, in honor of the 
great Genoese navigator who had sailed his ships to the Western con- 
tinent in 1492, and gave the world a knowledge of his discoveries. 

FOUNTAIN PRAIRIE — This name was selected as an appropri- 
ate one by reason of the numerous boiling springs or small fountains, 
springing forth in various localities within its borders. 

SCOTT — This name was selected in honor of the illustrious general 
who had gained distinction at Lundy's Lane, and elsewhere in the war 
of 181 2 and later gained the plaudits of his countrymen by leading the 
American forces from Vera Cruz to the Halls of Montezuma in Mexico, 
and was the Whig candidate for president in 1852. 

PACIFIC — The name of this town was bestowed upon it by its 



58 THE FA MIL Y TREE OF 

founder, N. H. Wood. The particular reason for its selection may not 
be stated with exactitude but it has been stated, with much plausibility, 
that Mr. Wood, in looking over the wide spreading meadows in the 
town, was impressed with the scene of the waving grasses and likened 
it to a vast expanse of water rolling under a gentle breeze, so great in- 
deed that nothing could be likened to it but an ocean, and a big ocean 
at that, and "Pacific" was what he had in his mind. This is probably, 
but may not be positively stated, the real origin of the name. 

PLEASANT VALLEY — This was the name originally given to the 
present town ofLodi, West Point and the west half of Arlington, a 
name that, with much appropriateness, might have been retained for the 
town of Lodi upon its organization. Why Lodi was selected, is un- 
known to the wiiter, but the presumption is, that it was from its similar- 
ity to the fertile district of that name in Lombardy where Bonaparte 
gained his famous victory over the Austrians; or possibly some citizen 
from Lodi, New York, may have been instrumental in bringing his 
eastern home name to Wisconsin. 

WEST POINT — This name was undoubtedly selected because of its 
geographical location in the county, being the extreme western portion 
of the southern part ol the county. The name "Portland" had first 
been asked for, in petitioning for the organization of the town, which 
was changed to "Bloomfield" by the committee of the board, in re- 
commending its organization, but in the formal order creating it, it ap- 
peared as "West Point," a highly appropriate name, but somewhat 
marred by an inadvertant omission of about lOo acres in range six in 
the extreme west part of the town, which was left outside of town or- 
ganization altogether. 

SPRINGVALE — At a meeting of representative citizens of this town 
at which Robert Closs, D. D. Jennings, Rufus Rogers and A. P. Fos- 
ter were present, the question of a name for the new town they were 
about to ask the board to organize, was considered. Several names 
were suggested for it, fully canvassed and the name "Springvale" was 
agreed upon by leason of the numerous springs in the valleys of the 
town; so says our informant, Thomas Meredith. 

LOWVILLE — So named in honor of one of its earliest and most 
prominent citizens, Jacob Low. 

PORTAGE PRAIRIE— This name was bestowed upon the town of 



COLUMBIA COUNTY 59 

that name as a most appropriate one by reason of its location on the 
usually traveled route at that time between Milwaukee and Portage, to 
distinguish it from other prairies to the east and northeast. 

LEROY — This precinct was named for one of the famous " Roi " 
or "LeRoy" families, (French Canadians) who were early inhabitants 
of this county, one of whom had established himself on one of the streams 
having its source in the south part of Green Lake county, who married 
a daughter of the famous Lecuyer, at Winnebago Portage. 

RANDOLPH (town) —This town was originally known as "LeRoy 
Precinct" together with the adjoining towns but was afterward changed 
to "Portage Prairie," and finally to the name it now has. This was 
done at the instance of John Converse, one of its earliest and most prom- 
inent citizens, in honor of his home town of the same name in Vermont, 
from which he emigrated to Wisconsin. When a name for the town 
was under consideration "Luzerne" had been practically agreed upon, 
but a dispute arose as to the orthography, some insisting that it should 
be spelled with an "s" and others with a "c," which was settled by 
adopting "Randolph." — W. T. Whirry. 

OTSEGO — This town was so named through the influence of one of 
its prominent citizens in honor of his eastern home of the same name in 
New York. 

COURTLAND— No reason for the selecting of this name for the 
town has ever come to my knowledge. 

RIO — This village was named after the postoffice of that name which 
had previously been established there. The name appears to have been 
selected without rhyme or reason therefor, as far as can be discerned. 

PARDEEVILLE — This village was named after its founder, John 
Pardee, one of the substantial business men of the county. 

KILBOURN CITY— Was named for Byron Kilbourn, president 
of the La Crosse & Milwaukee R. R. Co., (now the C, M. & St. P. 
R. R. Co.) who caused the line of the road to be changed from where 
it was originally projected to cross the Wisconsin River at the old vil- 
lage of Newport, to the point where it now spans that stream. 

RANDOLPH VILLAGE— The name of this village was first called 
"Converseville" after John Converse, who erected the first house in the 
village proper. The village, before incorporation, was in Dodge 
Countv, and the name of the town in which it was situated was "West- 



6o THE FA MIL Y TREE OF 

ford," but in 1879 it was incorporated as a village, and was made to in- 
clude that portion of the town of Courtland in Columbia, which is called 
"Westward." 



CHAPTER X. 

SIGNIFICATION OF INDIAN NAMES. 

It has been deemed fitting to include in this volume a brief statement 
of the meaning of the Indian names appearing in it, but more particu- 
larly of those local in Columbia County. In doing so, I desire at the 
outset to remind the reader that the authorities are often so conflicting, 
that no matter where information may be sought for on that point, confi- 
dence as to its correctness is not to be implicitly relied upon. There is 
good authority for everything that herein appears but, as stated, the 
authorities are often found in disagreement. In such cases the inter- 
pretation which appears to have received the most general acceptance 
has been used. 

Again, what may appear to be disagreements, will be found to be no 
disagreement at all, when it is remembered that different tribes had en- 
tirely different words to express the same meaning. For example, the 
Winnebago word for "a portage" is "Wau wau ah-na," now contract- 
ed to " Wauona " while the Sioux word for it is " O ning-ah-ming," 
meaning the same thing. A tribe living on a great lake or river had its 
own reason for the name it gave to it, while another tribe living on an- 
other part of it, would have a totally different meaning for the name it 
applied to it. So, instead of conflict each interpretation, from its own 
standpoint, would be correct. 

In the spelling of the names there was, and could have been, no es- 
tablished rule of orthography to be applied to them. Even if they had 
desired to, few persons would have been able to spell the names 
alike. The early visitor to a tribe, attempting to spell its name, or a 
word, the pronunciation of which he had but imperfectly understood, 
and which would often greatly vary, was at a great disadvantage, even 
if he had been able to spell an ordinary word, which he frequently was 
not able to do. So he simply "spelled at it," and not infrequently 
would spell the same name or word in as many different ways as he had 
occasion to use it. As the word passed along down the line a different 



COLUMBIA COUNTY 6i 

rendering of it, not only in its pronunciation but in its meaning and 
spelling as well, would appear. So, as we are told by Legler in his 
reference to "Indian Nomenclature" the Indian name "Menominee" 
has 84 variants or different ways in which it has been spelled, and a 
number of different meanings given to it, but "Wild Rice Men" is the 
meaning now almost universally accepted, as the correct interpretation, 
And our "Winnebago" has been transformed from AUouez' "Ovinobi- 
goutz" to its present form, and we get, "Wisconsin" from Perrot's 
"Ouisconchinz," and like transformations appear in every other Indian 
name as now written. For more complete information on Indian No- 
menclature the reader is relerred to a small volume of which Mr. Henry 
E. Legler is the author. I have made liberal use of it, and of various 
articles in the collections of the Wisconsin State Historical Society in 
the compilation of what follows: The meaning of names local in Co- 
lumbia County, I have obtained from original sources and interviews 
with various Winnebago Indians, and may, I think, be accepted with 
much assurance as to their correctness. 

Mississippi — A corruption from Mishi-Sibi; mishi, or misi, meaning 
"large;" sibi, meaning "river;" thus meaning "Large River — 
Verwyst. — (Mihchi-zee-bih) — Big river. The Indians never 
speak of the Mississippi as the Father of Waters — that is rather 
fanciful, but invariably refer to it as the Big River. The Win- 
nebagoes called it Ne koonts-Ha-takah — Ne-koonts meaning 
"river," ha-ta-kah "large." The Sioux called it Wat-pa-ton- 
go — watpa, "river," and tonga, "large." Sauks designated it 
as Media Sapo; Menominees. Mecha-Sepua; Kickapoos, Meche- 
Sepe; Chippewas, Meze-Zebe; Ottawas, Mis-sis-se-pi, all varia- 
tions of the same. (Traditions and Recollections of Prairie du 
Chien, by B. W. Brisbois, Wis. Hist. Coll. Vol. 9.) 

"Wisconsin — "A wild rapid stream." — It has other translations but this 
one is generally accepted as the correct one, Another name for 
it is Kee-ko-sara, signifying "River of Flowery Banks." — 
Canfield. — As with other geographical names derived from In- 
dian sources, the real meaning of the word Wisconsin (Chippe- 
wa origin) is so obscure as to be in dispute. The popular trans- 
lation is "wild, rushing channel," a definition that accords well 
with the nature of the stream, but which nevertheless is of 
doubtful authenticity. Another rendering, "the gathering of 
the waters," is pronounced absurd by students of the Algonquin 
tongue. — Mrs. Charlotte Ouisconsin Van Cleve, in her "Three 
Score Years and Ten" says that the Indians termed the stream 
Nee-na-hoo-na-ninka (beautiful little river). — It is claimed by 



62 THE FAMILY TREE OF 

Consul W. Butterfield that the name is derived from the physi- 
cal features of its lower course, where are obser\'able the high 
lands or river hills. "Some of these hills present high and pre- 
cipitous faces toward the water. Others terminate in knobs. 
The name is supposed to have been taken from this feature, the 
word being derived from Missi, 'great,' and Os sin, 'a stone, or 
rock.' " The word Wisconsin is the result of considerable 
change from the first rendering. On Marquette's genuine map, 
where the stream is indicated for the first time, no name is put 
down. Joliet's map gives it as Miskonsing. Friar Hennepin 
wrote it Ouisconsin and again Misconsin, and the French travel- 
er Charlevoix, who visited this country early in the eighteenth 
century, gave his preference to this form: Ouisconsing. It was 
not long before the final letter was dropped, and this form was 
retained until the present English spelling superseded that of 
the French. — Legler. 

Michigan (Michigami) — "A large body of water." — Verwyst. 
Ohio — "Beautiful river." 

Winnebago — Les puants; "fetid water" or "muddy water." 
Kickapoos — What ? 

Menominee — "Folles Avoines;" "wild rice men." This word has 84 
variants or different forms in: which it is spelled. — Legler. 

Milwaukee — The name Milwaukee is regarded as of Pottawatomie 
origin. As many meanings have been ascribed to the word as 
there are modes of spelling — and these have been many. The 
most generally accepted version of the meaning of Milwaukee 
is, that the original Indian word signified council place, and that 
here was neutral ground. Old residents say that it is a fact that 
the Indians regarded the east side of the river as a sort of 
gathering place. — Legler. 

Milwaukee — A rich or beautiful land; pronounced by the In- 
dians Me-ne-aw-kee. (Louis Moran.) The name of Milwaukee 
exhibits an instance of which there are many others, in which 
the French have substituted the sound of the letter 1 in place of 
n, in Indian words. Min in the Algonquin languages signifies 
good. Waukie is a derivation from aukie, earth or land, the 
fertility of the soil along the banks of that stream being the 
characteristic trait which is described in the Indian compound. 

Mascoutens — Gens de Feu — "Fire nation." Charlevoix, a high au- 
thority says the true name is "Mascoutenec" which signifies "an 
open country." This latter rendering is now quite generally ac- 
cepted as correct, and the Mascoutens, as it should be written, 
are "People from the prairie." 
Outagamis, or "Foxes" — Les Renards; "sly" or "cunning." 
Sauks, Sacs, Sakis — "Entrance to river." Locally, "Sac" is generally 



COLUMBIA COUNTY 63 

pronounced "Sack," erroneously, I believe. As both Sauk and 
Sac stand for the same thing, although spelled differently, they 
should be pronounced alike, I think, "Sauk." 

Roche-a-Cris — (/7'.) Rock surrounded by water. 

Foxes — They called themselves "Musquakis" from Muskwa, "red," 
and aki, "land." The French called them Les Renards, mean- 
ing "sly." 

Superior — Kitchi Garni, or as Longfellow has rendered it, Gitchee- 
Gumee, its equivalent being "Big water." 

Michilimacinac, now Mackinaw — Isle de la Tortue. "Turtle island" 
or "big turtle." 

Waupaca — Tomorrow. Named in connection with Weyauwega, which 
means "here we rest." Ascending the slack waters of the Wolf 
and Waupaca rivers to the former place, the red men were wont 
to encamp there for the night and on the morrow would resume 
their journey. Hence the terms "resting place" and "tomor- 
row" bestowed by them on these places. 

Butte-des-Morts— (/v-.) "Hill of the Dead." 

Wau-Bun — "The early day" or "early morn." — Mrs. Kinzie, 

Wauona — Originally " Wau-wau-ah-na" (Winnebago) "Portage" — 
To "carry" or "place for carrying on the shoulder," The 
Sioux word for a portage was "O-ning-ah-ming," also meaning 
"a carrying place." 

Puckaway or Apuckaway — Both words are in common use. This 
name is generally understood to mean "wild rice" which is found 
in great abundance on its borders, but Mrs. Kinzie, in Wau-Bun, 
who was entirely conversant with the Winnebago tongue, and 
who had frequently been on the lake, says it derived its name 
from the flags, or rushes which are also found in great abund- 
ance in its waters. Another authority states that its correct 
name is "Bokawe," from an Indian of that name who lived upon 
its banks, but it is doubtful. 

Prairie du Chien — (/r.) Dog's prairie, from the name of a Sauk chief. 

Petite Roche — (/v'.) Little rock; an early land mark on the Wisconsin 
river not far from the mouth of Honey Creek. 

Pete-en-well — A high rock on the banks of the Wisconsin River in 
Juneau County. A corruption of the Indian word "Pe-ton- 
won," signifying "quiver," from its fancied resemblance when 
seen at a distance to one well filled with arrows." — Gen. A. G. 
Ellis. Other renderings of the word have been given but the 
above is entitled to the greatest consideration as Gen. Ellis was 
one of the earliest settlers on the Upper Wisconsin and was en- 
tirely familiar with the Indian tongue. 

Oshaukuta — "Big spear" or perhaps a "great place for spearing." 



64 THE FA MIL Y TREE OF 

Baraboo — (French) Barribault — The Winnebago Indian name for the 
stream, "Ocoochery," signifying "plenty of fish." — Canfield. 

Montello — (Spanish.) "Hill by the water." Named by a returned 
Mexican war soldier. 

Waubesa — "Swan Lake." 

Mazo-Manie — "Moose Berries." An entirely different version of the 
name of this town is given it Kittle's History of the township 
and village of Mazomanie which states that the name first 
given to the place was "Man-ze-mon-e-ka or "Iron Walker" 
the name of the Indian who killed Pauquette at Portage. Sev- 
eral years later, Mr. E. H. Brodhead heard of the tragedy and 
changed the name to Mazomanie. 

Neenah — "Water. " 

Okee — "Black earth." 

Packwaukee — "Forest opening." 

Lemonweir — What ? 



CHAPTER XI. 

AN EARLY MAP OF COLUMBIA COUNTY. 

One of the earliest maps, if not the very earliest, of Wisconsin, was 
the one published in 1830 by John Farmer, of Detroit. "Roi's" (Le- 
Roy) house occupies the site where Fort Winnebago was being erect- 
ed, the government having purchased his interest in the premises at a 
liberal price, although he was but simply a "squatter" there without 
any real title to the premises. The Fort appears on it as between the 
Fox and Wisconsin Rivers. The Baraboo River is given as "Boni- 
bau's Creek" while Duck Creek appears by its French name ''Riviere 
Canards.'' Neenah Creek is put down as a branch of the Fox, while 
the balance of the Fox, from its confluence with the Neenah, appears 
as "Neenah Creek," running through Swan Lake. 

Farmer's revised map of 1836, shows the counties of Crawford, 
Brown, Iowa, and Milwaukee, the latter spelled "Milwalky." Fort 
Winnebago appears on this edition in its correct position, east of the 
Fox, and there is but one road leading from it, the old military road. 

The first map of "Wiskonsin Territory Compiled from Public Sur- 
veys" (no date) contains a representation of so much of the present 
county of Columbia as lies east of the Fox and Wisconsin Rivers — 



COLUMBIA COUNTY 65 

then a part of Portage County. A proposed canal runs from the out- 
let of Swan Lake to a point near the mouth of Big Duck Creeli, on 
section thirty-three. Duck Creek appears on the map as "Wauonah 
River;" Rocky Run as "Taynah River" and Spring Creek as "Ockee 
River." Pauquette is a small village; another one is "Ida" on the 
north side of Swan Lake, where "Oakwood Park" is now located, and 
"Dekorra" on the Wisconsin appears, with a road running directly east 
from it and then branches, one branch running in the direction of 
"Hochimyra" now Horicon, Dodge County. The other one takes a 
northwesterly direction to the south side of Fox Lake where was then 
the village of "Waushara." 



CHAPTER Xn. 

LAND ENTRIES IN COLUMBIA COUNTY. 

All of the lands embraced within the limits of Columbia County were 
not brought into market at the same time. The following table gives 
the date when the first entries of land were made in the several towns, 
etc., of the county, the name of the person making the entry and a de- 
scription of the land entered, as the facts appear on the books in the 
office of the County Clerk. It should be remarked, however, that the 
person who made the first entry was not always the first settler of the 
town. Some tracts were entered simply as an investment; in other 
cases the first settler would sometimes delay in making an entry, deem- 
ing his occupancy sufficient for the time being, as it was not regarded 
as a prudent thing to do to "jump" a settler's claim. 

The lands lying east and south of the Wisconsin river were surveyed 
in 1832, 1833 and 1834 and were placed in two land districts called the 
Green Bay land district with the land office at Green Bay, and the 
Wisconsin land district with the land office at Mineral Point. Public 
sales of the surveyed lands were held in 1835. The lands north of the 
Wisconsin river and west of the Fox were surveyed in 1851 and were 
placed in market in 1852. The town lines of Caledonia were run in 
1840 and 1845 and were subdivided in 1842 and 1845 ^"d were placed 
in market in 1846. 
.5 



66 



THE FAMIL Y TREE OF 



Town 



Name 



Description 



S. T. R, 



Entered 



Arlington 

Caledonia 

Courtland 

Columbus, City 



Columbus, Town.. 

Dekorra 

Fort Winnebago. . 



Wallis Rowan 

Joseph Ward 

A. J. Hewitt 

Peter Goulden 

Lewis Ludington. 



John Hustis. 



Fountain Prairie. 

Hampden 

Leeds 

Lewiston 

Lodi 

Lowville 

Marcellon 

Newport 

Otsego 

Pacific 

Portage 

Randolph 

Scott 

Springvale 

West Point 

Wyocena 



Lodi, Village 

Cambria 

Randolph, Village, 

Rio 

Fall River 

Kilbourn City 

Pardeeville 

Poynette 



Lewis Ludington.. 

Wallis Rowan 

Robert McPherson. 



James C. Carr 

Alfred Topliflf 

John Dalziel 

E. F. Lewis 

Ebenezer Hale 

Catherine Low 

Hiram McDonald. . . 

Michael Laffau 

Samuel Emery 

David Butterfield... 
Augustin Grignon* . 

Mary Perry 

John Dodge 



S. Taylor, et al. t- ■ 
Joseph W. Turner. 



Ebenezer Hale 

James Waunkie 

Allen Brunson 

Jeremiah Folsom, Jr. 

John Brown 

C. F. Legate 

W. W. Haskin 

James Duane Doty. . 

Alex. S Hooe 



sei4 neVil 
sei^ sei4 
n^o nei4 
e,^o sei4 
sei4 
nei4 
SWI4 
nwl4 
e>-2 
nei^ sei^ 

2 nwi4 
SWI4 nei4 
nwi4 nwi4 
nw^l 
nwi^ 
%}4, nei^ 
nwf4 swi| 
SWI4 
sei4 nei4 
lots 



nwi4 



w 

G; _ 
wi.T sei4 
lot No. 5 
lots 5, 11,12 
lot 5 
nw,i4 
nei4 nei4' 

ne'14 nei4 
nei4 nei4 
I ne^4 
nw^j. 



9 June H, 

8 Dec. 18, 

Dec. 18, 



10112 

1011 

11 

13 

12 

11 

11 

11 



June 5, 
Feb. 18, 
Feb. 18, 
Feb. 18, 
Feb. 18, 
Feb. 18, 
June 6, 
Aug. 11, 
Aug. 11, 
Julv 19, 
June 28, 
Oct. 3, 
Oct. 28, 
June 21, 
May 10, 
Feb. 15, 
Oct. 11, 
Dec. 27, 
Jan. 30, 
Apr. 26, 
Feb. 8, 
Feb. 8, 
April 29, 
Mar. 9, 
June 17, 
June 17, 
July 21, 
April 2, 
April 29, 
Aug. 28, 
Oct. 18, 
Dec. 7, 
Jan. 8, 
Feb. 8, 
Feb. 8, 
Feb. 8. 



1836. 
] 846. 
1846. 
1844. 
1839. 
1839. 
1839. 
1839. 
1839. 
1836. 
1836. 
1836. 
1843. 
1844. 
1844. 
1852. 
1836. 
1845. 
1836. 
1852. 
1843. 
1836. 
1832. 
1844. 
1844. 
1845. 
1836. 
1836. 
1836. 
1836. 
1845. 
1846. 
1847. 
1843. 
1852. 
1848. 
1837. 
1837. 
1887. 



*French Claim No. 21 was patented to Mr. Grignon by President Jackson, 
as per act of Congress, April 26, 1832. 

fit has been very generally understood that the tract of land entered by 
Wallis Rowan, in Decorah, June 6, 1836, was the first tract of land entered 
in Columbia County. Mr. Rowan was the first man to occupy and cultivate 
land in the county, "but Mr. Taylor et al.'s entry of lot 5, section 2, town 10, 
range 7, was the first tract entered. The lot is an island in the Wisconsin 
River and is owned, at present, by the Merrimac Brick Co. 



COLUMBIA COUNTY 67 

The swj/;, nvvj<(, section 27, town 12, range 8 was entered Dec. 
26, 1848, by Leon Brent, (sometimes written "Leon Braux," and at 
other times as "Lembro") and the e^2 on w^, section 27, town 12, 
range 8, was entered Oct. 19, 1848, by Ursule Dekorra, but they had 
occupied the lands, and opened up farms, after a fashion, much prior 
to these dates. 

Section 31, town 11, range 8, was patented by President Polk direct 
to Therese Gagnier and her two children, Francois and Louise, as part 
compensation for the murder of Registe Gagnier, and the scalping of 
his wife by Red Bird and others of the Winnebago Indians near Prairie 
du Chien, Mrs. G. having been allowed to select two full sections Of 
land belonging to the Indians wherever they chose. 



CHAPTER XIII. 



THE GRIGNON TRACT. 



The tract of land commonly known as the "Grignon Tract" [pro- 
nounced Green -yo] or "French Claim No, 21," was the first parcel 
of land conveyed to a citizen in Columbia County by the general gov- 
ernment. It embraces all the First ward and some portions of the 
Second, Third and Fourth wards of Portage and constituted all there 
was of Portage until the Menominee Indian lands came into market in 
1849. The lands were patented to Augustin Grignon by President 
Andrew Jackson, April 26, 1832. 

By the stipulations contained in the "Jay Treaty," made with Great 
Britain in 1796, the British government formally withdrew from the 
territory in the northwest which she had continued to occupy after the 
treaty of peace acknowledging the independence of the colonies had 
been concluded. By that treaty the French Canadian settlers were con- 
firmed in their rights to the lands they occupied, but it required legis- 
lation by Congress to enable them to obtain titles to land that could be 
conveyed. Congress applied the stipulations contained in the "Jay 
Treaty," by which the French settlers were accepted as citizens and 
guaranteed protection to them in the possession of their property. 
The presumption was that the occupants of the lands had obtained 
some sort of title from the Indians, but proof of occupancy was re- 



68 



THE FA MIL Y TREE OF 




COLUMBIA COUNTY 69 

quired. The claim in question probably could have been conveyed to 
John B. L'Ecuyer, but he had conveyed his rights, in so far as he 
might so do, to Mr. Grignon, who also had occupied, for a time, the 
lands in question. As there was still some doubt as to who was en- 
titled to priority, the lands were conveyed to Mr. Grignon, "saving the 
rights of John Ecuyer (or Lecuyer) deceased." 

A description of the lands so conveyed is given herewith, with a dia- 
gram of the same. 

The angle in the tract, at its most northerly point, is near the junc- 
tion of Conant and Adams streets, and is the point mentioned in the 
deed as "the corner of the pickets which surround the grave of the late 
John Ecuyer." The line was run in that manner to take in not only 
Ecuyer's grave, but that of the Indian burying ground which was lo- 
cated there, and on which the Catholic church was, or was about to be 
erected, which was the first church built between Lake Michigan and 
the Mississippi River in Wisconsin, but which was destroyed by fire 
about 1840. 

UNITED STATES TO AUGUSTIN GRIGNON. 

The United States of America to all whom these presents shall 
come, greeting: 

Know ye that there has been deposited in the general Land Office 
a certificate, number 266, of the Register of the Land Office at Detroit, 
in the Territory of Michigan, whereby it appears that, by the second 
section of the act of Congress, approved on the 17th day of April, 
1828, entitled "An Act to confirm certain claims to lands in the Ter- 
ritory of Michigan," Augustin Grignon was confirmed saving the 
rights of the heirs of John Ecuyer (Lecuyer), deceased, in his claim 
in volume numbered one of the Reports of the Commissioners on 
Land Claims in the Territory of Michigan, to the tract of land con- 
taining six hundred and forty-eight acres and eighty-two hundredths 
of an acre, situate at the portage of the Wisconsin and Fox Rivers 
bounded and described as follows, to-wit: 

Beginning on the northeast bank of the Ouisconsin River one 
fourth of a mile below the landing place, at a pos^ from which a 
birch 12 inches in diameter bears north 35 degrees west, distant 
eleven links, and a birch 14 inches diameter bears south 64 degrees 
east, distant 75 links: thence up the river north, forty degrees west 
twenty chains, to the landing place, (entered prairie at five chains) 
north seventy degrees, west five chains, north sixty-one degrees, 
west 26 chains and 50 links, (at three chains foot of island) south 81 
degrees, west eight chains and 50 links to an aspen seven inches in 
diameter (corner on the bank of the river): thence north ten degrees 
and 15 minutes west thirty chains through prairie to the top of the 
hill to the corner of the pickets which surround the grave of the late 
John Ecuyer (no pose, no bearings near): thence north fifty degrees 
east, (at fifteen chains enter V^arrens, after passing through old field, 
at 41 chains a pond, at 46 chains left the pond, and at 58 chains a 



THE FA MIL Y TREE OF 

wet prairie), 118 chains to a post on the left bank of the Fox River^ 
from which a white oak five inches in diameter bears north oO^o de- 
grees west, distant three chains and 4() links: thence up Fox River 
south five degrees, west three chains, south Ifi degrees, west 9 chains 
and 50 links to landing place at Portage, south 47 degrees, east 23 
chains and 40 links to a post on the margin of river in a marsh: thence 
south 25 degrees and thirty minutes, west 116 chains and 70 links, 
(entering timber land at 100 chains) to the beginning. 

There is, therefore, granted by the United States unto the said Au- 
gustin Grignon and to his heirs, saving any right or claim which the 
said heirs of John Ecuyer, deceased, may have in and to the same, 
the tract of land above described: to have and to hold the said tract, 
with the appurtenances, unto the said Augustin Grignon and unto 
his heirs and assigns forever, saving, as aforesaid, any right, title or 
claim which the said heirs of John Ecuyer, deceased, may have in and 
to the hereby granted premises. 

In testimony whereof, I, Andrew Jackson, President of the United 
States, have caused these letters to be made patent, and the seal of 
the General Land Office to be hereunto affixed. Given under my 
hand, at the city of Washington, the 26th day of April in the year of 
our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty-two, and of the in- 
dependence of the United States the fifty-ninth. 

, --^ ANDREW JACKSON. 

J aTf.-r ( Elijah Haywood, 

/ ■ ( Commissioner of the General Land Office. 

"^ ^. — - ' By the President. 

Recorded on Friday, the 17th of August, A. D., 1832, at 6 o'clock 
P.M. 

Samuel Irwin, Deputy Register. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

THE potters' emigration society. 

"The Potters' Joint Stock Emigration Society and Savings Fund" 
was a topic which was much more in the minds of many people in this 
section some fifty years ago than it is now. Indeed it is rarely men- 
tioned nowadays, and its existence is known to but few of the peo- 
ple of Columbia County of today. Notwithstanding its collapse, a re- 
sult that uniformly happens to nearly all societies organized and con- 
ducted on the basis that this one was, it exercised a powerful influence 
on the welfare of a large number of people who were brought to Co- 
lumbia County under its auspices. Some of them suffered loss, and all 
of them met with disappointment, but they were here and their tempo- 
rary losses were soon turned into success, in other directions, by their 
investments in the cheap lands they found here. Many of them lived 
to enjoy great prosperity, and their descendants are found in large num- 



COLUMBIA COUNTY 71 

bers in the north part of the county and the south part of the adjoining 
county of Marquette, and include many of the very best famihes of these 
counties. 

The society had its origin in Staffordshire, England, in 1844, where 
the "Potters' Union" was supporting a large number of unemployed 
potters in idleness. The idea was conceived of organizing an emi- 
gration society in order to give these unemployed men, or others of 
their trade, an opportunity of emigrating to America where lands were 
cheap and industry was likely to be rewarded, thus relieving their 
country of surplus, and enabling those that remained to obtain better 
wages. 

"The Potters' Joint Stock Emigration Society and Savings Fund" 
was organized according to an act of Parliament, May, 1844. Its de- 
clared object was to raise a fund, by weekly contributions from each 
member, according to the number of shares held by such members, to 
purchase in the Western States of the North American Union, 12,000 
acres of land ; to erect on the same buildings for the use of British op- 
erative potters desiring to emigrate, through the medium of shares, of 
not less than one pound each. 

The objects of the society met with the approval of the large body of 
men in whose interest it was organized and, in 1846, when a sufficient 
fund had been accumulated, a committee was sent over to purchase 
lands and make such preparations as were necessary for the welfare of 
those who were to emigrate. The committee looked over the ground 
and selected 1640 acres in the town of Scott, Columbia County. This 
they had surveyed into twenty-acre tracts, on each of which was to be 
erected a dwelling house for the occupancy of the emigrants. 

After a time an "Estate Committee" was appointed who were to ac- 
company the emigrants and see that each member of the union entitled 
thereto should receive his just credits, when they arrived in Scott. 

They found but four houses erected, all in an unfinished condition, 
and no real provision made for their comfort; but the committee was 
not at fault as they had not had sufficient time to execute the work 
necessary; and perhaps, the emigrants expected too much. But few 
people in Columbia County in those days were enjoying well furnished 
homes, and some of them were still living in their sod houses without 
complaining. Discouraging reports were sent back to England which 



THE FAMILY TREE OF 




COLUMBIA COUNTY 73 

had the effect of crippHng the work of the society. A reorganization 
of the society became necessary, and membership which had been Hm- 
ited to potters was thrown open to other trades. 

On the first purchase of land by the society, in the town of Scott, 
were settled the first year 134 persons. The settlement was given the 
name of Pottersville. The new rules adopted by the society secured 
to each individual, who chose to avail himself of the privilege, twenty 
acres of land and two years' credit for twelve months' provisions on 
the store of the colony. 

In 1849, Thomas Twiggs was sent out with full power to purchase 
50,000 acres of land, and he did purchase a considerable amount, prin- 
cipally in the towns of Fort Winnebago and Moundville. On section 
4 on the banks of the Fo.x River, at a place they called "Emancipation 
Ferry," now known as "Hume's Grove," Mr. Twiggs established a 
ferry, opened a store for the society and also put in operation a black- 
smith shop. The store venture proved a failure. It was also a part 
of the plan to put a dam in Neenah Creek near Corning Station but the 
project was never entered upon. The society's affairs became so in- 
volved, that suits were brought against it, judgment obtained and a 
levy made upon the tract of land in the town of Scott. Friends of the 
parties living upon the land bought it at the sale and permitted the oc- 
cupants to live upon it. All confidence in the society was now lost and 
it soon disbanded. Some of the emigrants returned to England, but 
the greater part ot them remained, and the sons and grandsons of the 
Potters' Emigration Society may still be found here in large numbers, 
principally in Scott, Fort Winnebago, Moundville and Buffalo. Mr. 
Twiggs, the last manager of the society's affairs, died where he had es- 
tablished the ferry and is buried in the grove near by. 



CHAPTER XV. 

LOCATING THE COUNTY SEAT. 

The organization of a new county and putting in motion the machin- 
ery for its government is always attended with more or less excitement 
and some friction, much of which is the locating of the county seat, or 
"shiretown," as it was called in the New England states. Columbia 



74 THE FA MIL Y TREE OF 

(first Portage) County of course, had to go through the fomenting 
process, with others, for very few escape contests of that kind. The 
first step in that direction was the act of the Legislature, 1836, in which 
the seat of justice was established at the " town of Winnebago." The 
next was in 1838 when the seat of justice was established at "Kentucky 
City" (Dekorra). In 1841 the boundaries of the county were en- 
larged by extending them to the north line of the territory, and pro- 
viding that the county officers should hold their offices at "Wisconsin 
Portage." (No name had ever been formally given to the locality by 
any legislative act.) In April, 1844, the people of the enlarged 
county voted upon the location of the county seat, the contestants be- 
ing Plover and Fort Winnebago. There were no newspapers pub- 
lished in the county then and little is known at the present time of the 
line of argument used or methods employed to compass the lesults. 
They were effective, however, for the ballot boxes disclosed a majority 
of votes "For Plover" and it was declared the winner, and that was all 
there was to it. To the " pinery" our people were required to go and 
did go to transact their county business. It was not an ungracious 
task, however, for all who went there, or most of them, found oppor- 
tunity to do a little business on the side and incidentally to "mak' 
some pleasurement" and enjoy the unbounded hospitality of the 
"pinery boys." 

In 1846 Portage County was divided and Columbia County came 
into being under its present name. The act of organization provided 
for a vote on locating the county seat in April of that year with this 
result: Columbus, 97; Winnebago Portage 49; Duck Creek (Wyo- 
cena). 47; Dekorra, 33; Dyer's (Otsego), 10; Van Duer (Bendure's)*, 
3. No place having received a majority of votes the act was found de- 
fective in not providing for such a contingency and the county seat re- 
mained unlocated. 

At the next session of the Legislature, 1847, (Hon. Hugh McFar- 
lane, representing the county in the Territorial legislature) .an act was 
passed declaring the county seat temporarily located at Wyocena, 
and providing for a vote on the question at each annual election until 
some place should receive a majority. The election held Sept. 6 of 
that year, resulted as follows: 



^On section 6, town 10, range 10. 



COLUMBIA COUNTY 



75 

















1 ^ 
















1 !» 








be 








P >. 








ffl 








lO 


-^S 




D 
-2 


2 

'a 

1 




C6 


S3 

> 


CO 


II 


|2 

2 =^ 




S 




0) 


15 


^ 




l» 




^ 


fe 


Q 


fe 


Q 


m 


O 






1R 


33 








1 












90 






^ 






174 


It 






15 


1 








1^ 


1<) 








? 


10 


1 


"Ploacnnt Vnllpv 


1 


25 




? 






6 




LeRoy 


6 


156 








9 


7 






1 
301 


78 
397 










3 
29 






33 


22 


15 


5 






1 



No place having received a majority, the county seat remained tem- 
porarily at Wyocena. 

In 1848 an act was passed which provided that for the term of five 
years the seat of justice should be at Columbus, and also provided that 
the several county offices should be removed to and held there as soon 
as suitable and convenient rooms or buildings should be provided there- 
for without expense or charge to the county. 

In 1850 an act was passed authorizing a vote on permanently locat- 
ing the countv seat at Wyocena, the form of ballot prescribed being 
"For Wyocena" and "Against Wyocena." The poll was, as can- 
vassed : 

For Wyocena 580 

Against Wyocena 507 

The returns from several precincts were withheld or were rejected 
for informalities; the total vote polled, as canvassed, was: 

' For Wyocena. Against Wyocena. 



Columbus 12 

Fort Winnebago, (Portage) 16 

Fountain Prairie 86 

Lowville 54 

Marcellon 4 

Otsego 75 

Portage Prairie 81 

Scott 51 

Springvale 68 

Wyocena 133 

580 



142 



20 



507 



76 THE FA MIL Y TREE OF 

The votes of the following precincts were not canvassed: 

For Wyocena. Against Wyocena. 

Lodi ] 3(3 

West Point 7 19 

Hampden 9 68 

Kossuth 80 33 

Dekorra 7 92 

Port Hope 73 

Another act of the legislature was obtained submitting the question to 
a vote of the people in April, 1851. The act authorized the electors to 
vote for the permanent location of the county seat at Fort Winnebago; 
and if said Fort Winnebago should receive a majority of all the votes 
cast on the subject, then Fort Winnebago should be and remain the 
county seat. If Fort Winnebago should not receive a majority of the 
votes then the county seat should be permanently established at Wyo- 
cena. The vote resulted as follows: 

Yes. No. 

Portage Prairie 20 43 

Springvale 1 82 

Wyocena 1 183 

Dekorra 90 23 

Otsego 2 79 

Fountain Prairie 95 

Columbus 11!) 50 

Hampden 36 35 

Kossuth 47 37 

West Point 32 7 

Lodi 41 G 

Fort Winnebago 441 9 

Port Hope 32 7 

Marcellon 92 3 

Scott 17 57 

Randolph 69 32 

Lowville 11 57 

1096 796 

— a majority of 300 for Fort Winnebago. This vote definitely fixed 
the location of the county seat, at Fort Winnebago (now Portage). 

THE ERECTION OF COUNTY BUILDINGS. 

The county seat having been on wheels and the court house trundled 
around from one place to another, the erection of a court house was 
necessarily held in abeyance for several years. The county ofiicers were 
housed in the Vandercook block at a rental of $1000 per annum. The 
court room itself was quite adequate, but the offices were miserably in- 
adequate, a fact which began to dawn upon the people of the county, 



COLUMBIA COUNTY 77 

but the county fathers, as was but natural, dreaded to incur any ex- 
pense which could possibly be avoided, no matter how urgent the de- 
mand — some of them moved by conscientious impulses, and others 
having the next election in mind. However, it became apparent that 
some action had to be taken in the near future. 

At a meeting of the board of supervisors Nov. 21, 1861, the commit- 
tee on county buildings consisting of G, H. Osborn, Hugh Jamieson 
and E. H. Wood, reported a series of resolutions recommending the 
erection of a court house. After reciting the necessity for county 
buildings, showing the cost for rent, etc., which was about $1,400 
per annum, the following resolution was reported: 

Resolved, That a committee of five be elected by ballot by the present 
board, to take into consideration the matter of building county build- 
ings. 

Resolved, That the committee shall fix upon the amount required to 
build suitable buildings but shall not set the amount to exceed |i2,ooo 
at a rate not exceeding eight per cent; and shall advertise for plans and 
specifications, setting forth the cost required and necessary directions 
which they, the committee, shall settle upon. 

The resolutions, after considerable backing and filling, were tabled, 
ayes 12, noes 11. 

THE COURT HOUSE.— The board of supervisors in 1863 con- 
sisted of three members instead of a representative from each town, etc. , 
as it had been constituted before. The supervisors were L. W. Barden, 
chairman; Chas. L. Brown and Marcus Barden. 

The business of the board having been about completed, the writer 
of this chapter, who was acting as deputy clerk of the board, motioned 
Judge Barden aside and suggested to him that the question of county 
buildings ought to be presented to the board. He laughingly replied 
that he didn't think it would be of any use to do so, but it might be 
well enough to agitate it. Returning to the board, I drew the following 
resolution which Mr. Barden submitted: 

Resolved, That the sum of eight thousand dollars be levied and 
raised in the same manner that other county taxes are raised, for the 
purpose of building a court house, and that the same be paid over to 
the county treasurer, and held by him, subject to the order of the board 
of supervisors, for the purpose aforesaid. 

The question was put on its adoption and Supervisor Brown voted 



78 THE FAMILY TREE OF 

aye; Supervisor M. Harden remained silent and the chairman declared 
the resolution adopted and it was so minuted in the journal. 

The next day, Dec. 9, the last act of the board before adjourning 
was the adoption of the following resolution, which was presented by 
Supervisor Brown: 

Resolved, That L. W. Barden, chairman of the board of supervisors, 
be and is hereby instructed to procure plans and specifications for a 
court hou^,e, and receive propos ils lor a site for the same, which shall 
be submitted to the board at its next meeting. 

Such were the initial steps taken for the erection of the court house 
which Columbia county possesses, accomplished by a single vote. 

At the next meeting of the board, in January, 1863, consisting of W. 
W. Drake, M. Barden and Geo. M, Bartholomew, the "constituents" 
began to be heard from, and a strong effort was made to postpone the 
erection of county buildings. The war taxes were being felt and con- 
siderable complaint was made that the erection of county buildings 
should be entered upon at such an inopportune time. Supervisor 
Bartholemew set his face resolutely against any postponement, and the 
work of procuring plans, etc. , was proceeded with. 

A plan was presented by Alexander Carnegie, proposals were so- 
licited and a contract was let to Prescott & Carnegie for building the 
court house for the sum of $17,830. The site was presented to the 
county by the citizens of Portage. 

An additional tax of $10,000 was levied in the fall, which provided 
for the entire contract price for the building, and the tax payers of the 
of the county had paid for it in two annual levies without having re- 
courses to the bugaboo of "bonds". The war prices which were pre- 
vailing for produce had made tax paying comparatively easy. Work 
on the building was commenced in the spring of the year, 1864, and 
was completed in the fall of 1865, at the contract price. With all inci- 
dental expenses, furniture, grading, side walks, an iron fence, (since 
removed) cisterns, wells, shade trees, etc., the entire cost was some- 
thing less than $26,000, but lumber was not bought at present day 
prices. 

Since the court house was erected repairs and improvements incident 
to such buildings have been made. Steam heating has superceded the 
old box stove, modern lighting works, closets, water, etc., have been 



COLUMBIA COUNTY 79 

put in and the court room has been rearranged, reseated and suppUed 
with appropriate furniture, When it was built it was regarded as a 
pretty fine building, having been the second court house, of any pre- 
tentions, erected in the state, Brown county having built the first one. 
All the other counties had retained the first structures used for county 
purposes. The court houses built in recent years surpass ours, in 
many ways, architectural beauty, convenience in some particulars and 
greatly in expense, but few of them are better adapted, in every respect, 
for the purposes for which they were erected than that of Columbia 
county's and with some additions from time to time, for vault room, 
there would seem to be no good reason why it should not serve all the 
needs of the county for another forty years. Then Columbia County 
will again set the style for other counties which have a need for replac- 
ing their court houses. 

REGISTER OF DEEDS' OFFICE— The destruction of court 
houses by fire and attendant loss of county records, which were occur- 
ring with so much frequency in various parts of the state, so alarmed the 
authorities of Columbia County that the erection of an office for the 
Register of Deeds was decided upon in 1894, and a fireproof building, 
apart from the court house, was erected in 1895. This building is so 
constructed that the people of the county may rest assured that the 
titles to property, recorded in that office, are absolutely safe from de- 
struction by fire. 

THE COUNTY JAIL — The county jail stands apart from the court 
house, half a mile or more distant, on a block devoted entirely to it. 
The block was donated to the county by Webb & Bronson, for county 
purposes with the expectation that all of the county buildings would be 
erected upon it, but the growth of the city having been in another di- 
rection, it has not been deemed advisable to erect additional county 
county buildings there, and the authorities have felt that they are 
under some sort of obligation to maintain some, at least, of the county 
buildings in that block. 

The jail was first erected in 1851 but was destroyed by fire in 1864. 
Another one was built in that year, but in after years, with the advent of 
"the tourists," it was found to be quite inadequate for county purposes 
and, in 1887, a new jail and sheriff's residence, at a cost of $17,335.13 
was erected. Many improvements have been made in its surroundings 



8o 



THE FA MIL Y TREE OF 



and altogether the buildings and grounds present an attractive appear- 
ance. 

THE COUNTY POOR HOUSE AND HOSPITAL FOR THE 
INSANE — This building, originally the Columbia county poor house, 
is situated in the village of Wyocena, the first structure having been 
built in 1858. Since then the structure has given place to a larger and 
more commodious building with a fine hospital for the insane added to 
it, and the county now possesses an institution for the care of its indi- 
gent, and insane, which is entirely commensurate with its needs and is 
creditable to the county and its management in every respect. Large 
farms have been added to the property which give the inmates the 
needed employment. 



CHAPTER XVI. 



COUNTY OFFICERS OF COLUMBIA COUNTY. 

Following is a list of the persons who have served as county officers 
from the organization of the county down to the present time: 

COUNTY JUDGES. 

(The title of this office was first called "Probate Judge.") 



1847 —Silas Walsworth* 
1847-48— James T. Lewis 
1849 —Moses R. Cobbt 
1850-56— Joshua J. Guppey 
1857-60— Guy C. Prentiss 



1861-64— John T. Clark 
1865-80 — Joshua J. Guppey 
1881-92— Levi W. Barden 
1893-98- J. B. TaylorJ 
1898 — W. S. Stroud 



^Refused to qualify and James T. Lewis appointed. 

t Resigned and Joshua J. Guppey appointed Sept. 29, 1849, to fill vacancy. 

JDied Sept. 25, 1898, and W. S. Stroud appointed to fill vacancy. 



SHERIFFS. 



1847-48— T. Clark Smith 
1849-50— Jacob Low 
1851-52- Alexander McDonald 
1853-54— Perry Lee 
1855-56— S. C. Higbie* 
1857-58— Edward F. Lewis ^ 
1859-60— Benjamin Williams 
1861-62— William W. Drake 
1863-64— Nathan Hazen 
1865-66— P. Pool 
1867-68 -S. K. Vaughan 
1869-70— O. H. Sorrenson 
1871-72— P. Pool 
1873-74— William W. Drake 
1875-76— J. O. Prescott 

* Election contested and office 



1877-78— A. H. Russell 
1879-80— Jonas Conklin 
1881-82— J. H. Jurgerson 
1883-84— D. G. Williams 
1885-86— J. W. Lefflngwell 
1887-88— R. C. Falconer 
1889-90— J. R. Nashold 
1891-92— P. C. Irvine 
1893-94— William H. Parry 
1895-96— Hugh Hall 
1897-98— Ole M. Bendixen 
1899-00— Lewis Leith 
1901-02— J. C. MacKenzie 
1903-04— E. P. Ashley 



awarded to Geo. Robinson. 



COLUMBIA COUNTY 



CLERKS OF CIRCUIT COURT. 

1847-48— Henry Merrell (Clerk of 

District Court) 
1848-50— Josiah Arnold 
1851-53 — James Delaney, Jr.* 
1854 —A. W. Delaney 
1855-56— S. K. Vaughanf 
1857-58— S. K. Vaughan 
1859-60— A. Morehouse 
1861-62— A. J. Turner 
1863-65— H. M. HaskellJ 
1866 —J. Chancellor (to fill va- 
cancy) 

♦Drowned May 31, 1853, and A. W. Delaney appointed to fill vacancy. 

fCertificate given to A. W. Delaney, but office given to S. K. Vaughan on 
a contest. 

JResigued and James Chancellor appointed to fill vacancy. 

J, Resigned and S. M. Smith appointed to fill vacancy Dec. 6, 1871. 



1867-71- 


-C. A. Dibble !| 


1872-78- 


-S. M. Smith 


1879-82- 


-S. S. Lockhart 


1882-86- 


-J. H. Wells 


1887-88- 


-L. E. Greenleaf 


1889-90- 


-Peter Williams 


1891-92- 


-Frank M. Shaughnessy 


1893-96- 


-A. S. Crouch 


1897-00- 


-Evan O. Jones 


1901- - 


-C. H. Crothers 



1847-48— James T. Lewis 
1849-50-D. J. M. Loop 
1851-52 — Amasa G. Cook 
1853-56— Luther S. Dixon 
1857-60— Levi W. Barden 
1861-64— Israel Holmes 
1865-66— Gerry W. Hazelton 
1867-68— John T. Clark 



DISTRICT ATTORNEYS. 

1869-74 
1875-80 



Emmons Taylor 

J. H. Rogers 
1881-84— H. H. Curtis 
1885-86— Thomas Armstrong. Jr. 
1887-88- J. S. Max\Vell 
1889-94— W. S. Stroud 
1895-98— W. G. Coles* 
1899 — H. E. Andrews 



*Died and W. S. Stroud appointed to fill vacancy. 
COUNTY CLERKS, t 



1846 
1847 



1848 - 

1849 - 
1851-54- 
1855-58- 
1859-62- 

tTitle 
changed 
Clerk" i 



-James C.Carr 1863-68- 

-Wayne B. Dyer (appointed 1869-74- 

in place of Nelson Swarth- 1875-80- 

out) 1881-86- 

- James C. Carr 1887-90- 

-James B. Eaton 1891-92- 

-Alvin B. Alden 1893-96- 

-Thomas B. Haslam 1897-00- 

-Julius Austin 1901- - 

of this office was first ' "Clerk of the Board 
to the "Clerk of the Board of Supervisor 
n 1871. 



-Harvey H. Rust 
-Ogden A. Southmayd 
-L. S. Rolleston 
-Wm. B. Smith 
-Chas. C. Dow 
-Frank B. Ernsperger 
-Richard Pritchard 
-D. R. Marshall 
-Robert J. Hughes 

of County Commissioners;" 
s" in 1848 and to "County 



COUNTY TREASURERS. 
1847 —James C. Carr 
1848-49— William J. Ensign* 
1850-51— Stephen Brayton 
1852-54— Harrison S. Haskell 
1855 — Horace Rustt 
1857-60— George Ege 
1861-66— LI. Breese 
1867-68— Lewis Low 



1869-72— Miles T. Alverson 
1873-76— Oliver H. Sorrenson 
1877-80— Henrv Neef 
1881-88— C. A. Colonius 
1889-92— J. A. Johnson 
1893-96— James R. Hastie 
1897-00— Bvron Kinnear 
1901- —Thomas V. Dunn 



*Stephen Brayton was elected in 1849 but Mr. Ensign claimed to hold over. 
He filed his resignation Dec. 10th, 1850, and the board appointed Isaiah Rob- 
inson to fill the vacancy. The contest was decided in favor of Mr. Brayton. 

6 



82 



THE FAMIL Y TREE OF 



REGISTER OF DEEDS. 



1847 —Elbert Dickason 
1849 —A. A. Brayton 
1849-50— P. F. Farnham 
1811-53— Josiah Arnold 
1853-56— William Owen 
1857-58— D. F. Newcomb 
1859-63 — James Chancellor=* 
1863-66— Abner H; Smead 
1867-74— Thomas Yule 



1875-76 — Joseph Schteflfer 
1877-80— George Yule 
1881-84 -Z. J. D. Swift 
1885-86— H. H. Tongen, Jr.J 
1887-90— John W. Brown 
1890-94— John H. Dooley 
1895-98— Arthur A. Porter 
1899-02— Ole Johnson 
1902- — C. H. Smith 



JMr. Tongen died in Feb. 1886, andZ. J. D. Swift appointed to fill vacancy. 
*Office declared vacant in Nov. 1863, by reason of Mr. Chancellor's dbsence 
from state and A. H. Smead appointed to fill vacancy. 
tOffice contested and awarded to M. M. Ege. 



CORONERS, 



1847-50— Daniel E. Bassett 
1851-54— Isaac Smith 
1855-56 — Erastus Cook 
1857-58— H S. Haskell 
1859-63— Geo. W. Marsh 
1863-64— Marcus Barden 
1865-66— Carl Schneider 
1867-68—0. H. Sorrenson 
1869-70— Charles Earley 



1871-76— Z. J. D. Swift 
1877-78— William Snoad 
1879-80— Z. J. D. Swift 
1881-84— Geo. W. Marsh 
1885-88— B. M. Allen 
1889-90— N. J. Currier 
1891-93— John Collins, Jr. 
1893-01— B. M. Allen 
1901 -W. G. Bunker 



COUNTY SURVEYORS. 



1857-48— A. Topliff 

1849-50-N. P. Foster 

1851-53— A. Topliff 

1853-54 -John Thomas 

1855-56 — George M. Birtholomew 

1857-60— A. Topliff 

1861-63— Rensler Crouk* 

1863-66— A. Topliff 

1867-38— Jonathan Whitney 

18o9-70— E. Corning. 

*Killed in battle ani Alfred Topliff appointed July 36, 1833, to fill vacancy, 
fin place of E. Corning, resigned. 

COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS. 

(In 1862 the constitution was amended by making the terms of all 
■county officers elected in ev^en number years, two years.) 



1870 - 


-H. Meritont 


1871-73- 


-F. A. Brown 


1873-74- 


-G. M. Bartholomew 


1875-76- 


-Henry Meritou 


1877-78- 


-G. M. Bartholomew 


1879-80- 


-Henry Meriton 


1881-83- 


-E. Corning 


1883-90- 


-C. E. Corning 


1891-92- 


— E. Corning 


1893 - 


-C. E. Corning 



1833-67— David W. Roseukrans 
1868-69— Levi Bath 
1870-71— John J. Lloyd 
1873-70— L3Roy J. Burlingamet 
1876-79— Kennedy Scott 



1880-81— Henry Neill 
1883-88— Z. Merrill 
1889-96— E. C. True 
1897-03— E. H. BurlingameJ 
1903 — S. C. Cushman 



fOffice declared vacant Aug. 33, 1874, and Kennedy Scott appointed to fill 
vacancy. 

^Resigned Aug. 16, 1903 and L. J. Tucker appointed to fill vacancy. 



COLUMBIA COUNTY 



83 



BOARDS OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. 

While the county was under the territorial form of government its 
affairs were administered by a board of county commissioners. The 
boards were constituted as follows: 

184fi — Solomon Leach, John Q. Adams, John Langdon* 
1847— R. P. Veeder. Nathan Griffin, J. D. McCall 
1848 — John Q. Adams, J. J. Guppey, G. M. Bartholomew 
1849 — James C. Carr, LaFayette Hill, John O. Jones 

*Mr. Langdon failed to qualify. 

CHAIRMEN OF COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. 



1849-Alfred A. Bray ton 


1873-A. J. Turner 


1850 -Jeremiah Drake 


1873- 


18.51— Joseph Kerr 


1874- 


1852- 


1875- 


1853- Jesse Van Ness 


1876- 


1854-F. C. Curtis 


1877-J. K. Decker 


1855-M. W. Patton 


1878- 


185(3-F. C. Curtis 


1879- 


185T-Peter Van Ness 


1880-M. T. Alverson 


1858-J. C. Carr 


1881- 


1859- 


1882-Addi8on Eaton 


1860-W. N. Baker 


1883- 


1861- 


1884- J. R. Decker 


*1882-LeviW. Barden, Charles L. 


1885- 


Brown, Marcus Barden 


1886-Lester Woodard 


1863-Levi W. Barden, Marcus Bar- 


1887-J. H. Rogers 


den, Charles L. Brown 


1888- 


1864-W. W. Drake, Marcus Barden, 


1889- 


Geo. M. Bartholomew 


1890- James B. Taylor 


186.5-W. W. Drake, Marcus Barden, 


1891-R. N. McConochie 


Geo. M. Bartholomew 


1892- 


1866-W. W. Drake, Marcus Barden, 


1893-Mic Adams 


Edward F. Lewis 


1894- 


1867-Marcus Barden, W. \V. Drake, 


1895- 


Edward F. Lewis 


1896-Salmon Brown 


1868- Edward F. Lewis, Marcus 


1897- 


Barden, W. W. Drake 


1898-h. J. Fisk 


1869-W. W. Drake, G. M. Bartholo- 


1899- 


mew, John Meredith 


1900-John Scott 


1870-Geo. M. Bartholomew, John 


1901- 


Meredith, Ira H. Ford 


1902- 


1870- A. J. Turnert 


1903-W. C. Leitsch 


1871-W. M. Griswold 





*The board of Supervisors was constituted from 1862 to 1870 of three mem 
bers only. 

IFrom June of that year. 



84 THE FA MIL Y TREE OF 

CHAPTER XVII. 

Wisconsin's territorial representatives in congress. 

The territory of which Wisconsin has at times formed a part, has 
been represented in congress by delegates, as follows: 

northwest territory. 

The delegate took 
his seal in 

William Henry Harrison ^99 

(Gen. Harrison was chosen a delegate by ttie Council 

and House of Representatives of Northwest Territory . 

at Cincinnati, Sept. 16, 1799, and took his seat Dec. 

7, of that year.) 

William McMillan (in place of William Henry Harrison, resigned) 1800 

Paul Fearing 1801 

(Unseated in 1803, state of Ohio having been 

organized . ) 

territory of INDIANA. 
[Embracing what is now Wisconsin.] 

(Had no delegate until 1805. The delegates were 

elected by the Territorial Council. ) 

Benjamin Parke 1805 

Benjamin Parke 1807 

Jesse B. Thomas 1808 

(Mr. Thomas was elected in place of Mr. Parke, 

resigned.) 

TERRITORY OF ILLINOIS. 

(Embracing what is now Wisconsin.) 

Shadrach Bond 1812 

Benjamin Stephenson (in place of Mr. Bond, resigned) 1814 

Nathaniel Pope 1816 

TERRITORY OF MICHIGAN. 

(Embracing what is now Wisconsin) 

William W. Woodbridge 1819 

Solomon Sibley 1^20 

(In place of Mr. Woodbridge, resigned.) 

The vote cast at the election Sept. 21, 1820, was: 

Solomon Sibley 213 

Augustus B. Woodward 206 

James McCloskey 89 

John B. Williams "^ 

Gabriel Richard 1823 



COLUMBIA COUNTY 85 

The vote cast Sept. 4, 1823, the first election held on 
Wisconsin soil resulted as follows: 

Gabriel Richard 444 

John Biddle 421 

Austin E. Wing 335 

James McCloskey 164 

A. G. Whitting 165 

John R. Williams 51 

[It may be worthy of note to remark that Father 
Gabriel Richard was the first and only Catholic 
priest ever elected to Congress in the United States.] 

Austin E. Wing 1825 

John Biddle 1829 

Austin E. Wing 1831 

Lucius Lyon 1833 

George W. Jones 1835 

TERRITORY OF WISCONSIN. 

George W. Jones 1836 

The vote for delegate was: 

George W. Jones 3522 

Moses Meeker 696—4218 

James Duane Doty 1838 

The vote for delegate was: 

James D. Doty 1758 

George W. Jones •. . 1174 

Thomas P. Burnett 920—3852 

James Duane Doty 1840 

The vote for delegate was: 

James D. Doty 2125 

Byron Kilbourn 1158 

Thomas P. Burnett 861—4144 

Henry Dodge 1842 

The vote for delegate was: 

Henry Dodge 3435 

Jonathan E. Arnold 2528—6363 

Henry Dodge 1843 

The vote for delegate was : 

Henry Dodge 4685 

George W. Hickcox 3184 

Jonathan Spooner 153 

Scattering 25—8047 

Morgan L. Martin 1845 



86 THE FA MIL Y TREE OF 

The vote for delegate was: 

Morgan L. Martin 6803 

James Collins 5787 

E. D. Holton 790 

Charles Durkee 13—13,393 

John H. Tweedy 1847 

The vote for delegate was: 

John H. Tweedy 10,G70 

Moses M. Strong 9,648 

Charles Durhee 973 

Scattering 40—21,331 

On the 29th of May, 1848, Wisconsin was admitted into the Union 

as a state and the duties of the Territorial delegate thereupon ceased. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

POSTOFFICES AT PORTAGE. 

The first postoffice in Columbia County was established, at the Win- 
nebago Portage, Michigan Ter., in 1831, the office being in the Indian 
Agency house near the Fort, (now the farm house of E. S. Baker) and 
the postmaster was John Kinzie. Its name was "Fort Winnebago." 
The office by that name was temporarily discontinued Feb. 24, 1S53, 
but was reestablished for the convenience of the town of Fort Winne- 
bago in 1857, and was permanently discontinued Oct. 22, 1S61, the 
Port Hope P. O. supplying the inhabitants of the north part of the 
town, east of the Fox, with postoffice accommodations. 

Oxv April 5, 1850, a postoffice was established near the canal bridge, 
called "Wauonah" but was changed to Portage City a little later in the 
same year, and was changed once more to "Portage" May 28, 1S75. 

The record of persons appointed as postmasters here with the dates 
of their appointment, is as follows: 

FORT WINNEB.\GO, MICHIGAN TERRITORY. 

John Kinzie Feb. 10, 1831 

FORT WINNEBAGO, BROWN CO., MICHIGAN TERRITORY. 

Henry Merrell Sept. 4, 1834 

FORT WINNEBAGO, PORTAGE CO., WISCONSIN TERRITORY. 
Hugh McFarlane June 18, 1845 



COLUMBIA COUNTY 87 

FORT WINNEBAGO. COLUMBIA CO., WISCONSIN. 

Orrin Kincaid Nov. 13, 1846 

Henry Carpenter March 1847 

Gardner T. Getty Jan. 31, 1850 

M. R. Keegan Aug. 12, 1852 

James M. Forrest April 8, 1847 

Michael R. Keegan Sept. 4, 1857 

WAUONAH. 
Charles H. Moore April 5, 1850 

PORTAGE CITY* 

Thaddeus Dean July 16, 18fiO 

Lemuel Berry Feb. 9, 1852 

James Delaney, Sr Feb. 24, 1853 

Jerome B. Fargo Aug. 23, 1855 

^ohn A. Brown Dec. 15, 1856 

Chancey C. Britt March 1, 1852 

Stillman E. Dana April 8, 1861 

Charles P. Austin July 9, 1870 

Harrison S. Haskell Nov. 27, 1874 

Samuel S. Brannan March 3, 1879 

Charles C. Dow April 13, 1882 

James E. Jones , Aug. 16, 1886 

Geo. W. Morrison June 11, 1889 

Moses J. Downey April 5, 1894 

Chris. F. Mohr March 31, 1898 

Arthur A. Porter 

♦Changed to "Portage" May 28, 1875. 



CHAPTER XIX. 

THE FOX AND WISCONSIN PORTAGE. 

The locality now known as "Portage," came into prominence more 
than a century before a single person, other than the aborigines, became 
an inhabitant of it. Who the earliest white persons were, who may 
have invaded it, is a matter of conjecture, and is discussed elsewhere. 
Whoever they may have been is of minor importance, for they imparted 
to others no knowledge ot the geographical features of this region and 
the world was none the wiser by reason of their coming. But when 
Pere Jacques Marquette and Sieur Louis Joliet banked their canoes on 
the Fox and, "making the portage," launched their barks on the Wis- 



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COLUMBIA COUNTY 89 

consin, about the i6th of June, O. S., 1673, the Wau-wau-ah-na, 
(corrupted into Wauona, signifying "the carry," or, translated Hter- 
ally, "carry on the shoulder,") or the "portage," found a place on the 
maps and from its geographical position assumed importance. Here 
was discovered a natural route connecting the great lakes with the waters 
coursing the vast territory to the south and west, a veritable terra in- 
cognita, concerning which so much mystery existed and of which, prac- 
tically, nothing was known. Other explorers followed where Marquette 
and Joliethad blazed the way. The most famous of these, perhaps, was 
Robert Cavalier du LaSalle, to whom, in 1674, Sieur Joliet had commun- 
icated the result of the expedition he had made with Marquette the pre- 
vious year. The steps he took to utilize the information he had gained 
must be learned from the works of the historians, for they fill a very 
large space in the history of the Mississippi valley. LaSalle's expedi- 
tion to it was made in 1862 by the Fox-Wisconsin route. The divide 
between the rivers is referred to by him as a "point where the canoes 
are portaged across an oak grove and a flooded meadow."* 

LaSalle was accompanied on this expedition by the famous characters 
Louis Hennepin and Henry de Tonty — the man known among the 
Indians as "Iron Hand," he having lost his hand, which was replaced 
by an iron one. Father Hennepin having been captured by the In- 
dians and finally released, returned by the Fox-Wisconsin route and 
was the first person, of whom wc have definite knowledge, to ascend 
the Wisconsin and cross the portage. So, doubtless, on the gentle 
slope near the foot of Mac street. La Salle, Hennepin, Tonti and 
Menard also had found shelter in their tents in an "oak grove." 

He who would know more of these famous men, and of Le Sueur, 
Perrot, du L'hut (Duluth) and, later, of Jonathan Carver, in 1766, who 
have pitched their tents at the portage in its oak groves or on its 
flooded meadows, and whose expeditions fill so large a space 
in the history of the Mississippi valley, must find it in the volumes of 



*A resident of Portage at this time may wonder where LaSalle found the 
"oak grove" alluded to. In the early times, indeed down to about 1850, the 
•'portage" forked about midway between the rivers when it was a '-flooded 
meadow," one route turned northwest and ascended the high land at Ket- 
chum's Point, the trail through the "oak groves" reaching the Wisconsin 
river near the foot of Mac street. LaSalle evidently made his trip when the 
shortest, and usually traveled trail to the Wisconsin was flooded, or in a very 
bad condition. 



90 THE FA MIL Y TREE OF 

Bancroft, Parkman, Fiske, Winsor, Shea and our own Thwaites and 
Legler and other eminent writers who have illumed their pages with 
their abundant knowledge and gifted pens. In them all the portage, 
so difficult of passage at times, found frequent mention. Were these 
early voyageurs, missionaries, explorers and traders to pass over it to- 
day they would have no occasion to watch their footsteps lest they 
should be stung with the fangs of the serpens-a sonnettes, and they 
would need no leggings to enable them to make a successful passage of 
the quagmires which at times impeded the way. La Salle's "flooded 
meadows" have disappeared (except on occasions) under the influence 
of the embankments which have been erected along the Wisconsin 
river as barriers to its overflow, and the "oak groves" have mostly 
given place to beautiful homes; and avenues shaded with elms, maples, 
lindens, etc., mark the Wauonah where the savages toted on their 
shoulders the barks of Marquette and Joliet in 1673. 



CHAPTER XX. 



OLD FORT WINNEBAGO. 



[This chapter is, principally, a reprint of a paper read by me before 
a local club several years ago and which was incorporated in Vol. XIV 
of the Wisconsin Historical Collections, A. J. T.] 

To the present generation old Fort Winnebago (at Portage) is a 
tradition. To the older citizens of our state, who recall its whitened 
walls as they appeared above the stockade that inclosed them, and who 
retain a vivid recollection of many of its appointments and environments, 
it is a reminiscence; very few there are, now living, who dwelt at the 
fort during its occupancy, and who had an acquaintance with those of 
its garrison who subsequently became illustrious in military and civil life. 
Of such, some passed their earlier years at the fort in comparative ob- 
scurity, awaiting an opportunity to prove their mettle on the sanguinary 
field of conflict, and who afterward left their impress on the pages of 
history. Some of their names are still spoken; others who were here, 
of equal merit, perhaps, are rarely or never mentioned, for opportunity 
came not to them. Much that occurred at the fort has been recorded in 
various public documents, volumes and papers, but nowhere, I believe, 



COLUMBIA COUNTY 91 

has it ail been arranged in a convenient form. So the old fort may be 
said to have had a history, but no historian. It is not my purpose to 
attempt an exhaustive history of the fort; but rather to collate what has 
already been written, but which is so scattered as to involve great re- 
search on the part of the student who would know as much as possible 
of its origin and history. I have incorporated in my account some 
things not found in any published matter, which I have heard related 
Irom the lips of those who were there as early as 1830, and who knew 
its innermost history. Some of it is of a minor character, but may pos- 
sess sufficient local interest to warrant the recital. 

Although the existence of the lead mines in southwestern Wisconsin 
had been known for many years, it was not until about 1S22 that they 
attracted general attention, when adventurers began coming in and 
commenced mining operations. The Indian title to the lands in that 
section had not yet been extinguished, or was in dispute and, in any 
event the Indians were authorized to remain upon them "as long as the 
lands which are now ceded to the United States remain their property," 
The lands had not been brought into market and were not even sur- 
veyed. Nevertheless, "permits" to enter upon the lands claimed by the 
Indians were issued by certain government officials. This naturally ir- 
ritated the savages whose lands had been invaded. The conduct of the 
adventurers toward the aborigines was frequently coarse and brutal, and 
disturbances were the inevitable result. In them we find the inciting 
causes that led to the establishment of old Fort Winnebago — so called 
because the lead region, as well as the Fox-Wisconsin portage, was in 
the territory of the Winnebagoes. 

The feeling of insecurity that prevailed moved General Macomb to 

recommend the establishment of a military post at the portage between 

the Fox and Wisconsin rivers, which was communicated to the secretary 

of war in the following language: 

From the restlessness evinced by the Wmnebagoes and other tribes in the 
Northwest, partly arising from intrusion upon land iu the mineral district 
claimed by them to be within their boundaries, by white people in search of 
lead, and in consequence of a belief entertained by these tribes, from the 
smallness of the military force in their neighborhood, in comparison with 
what it had been several years before, the government might not find it con- 
venient to increase it, and they might therefore with impunity resume the 
depredations which had led to the establishment of those posts in the first in- 
stance: therefore it was found necessary to establish a new post at the portage 



92 THE FAMILY TREE OF 

between the Fox and Ouisconsiu rivers and reoccupy Chicago. * * * in 
order to effect these changes, the first regiment furnished the garrison of the 
post at the portage of the Ouisconsin and Fox rivers, while it continued to oc- 
cupy fort Crav.-ford. at the Prairie du Chien, and fort Snelling, at the junction 
of the St. Peters with the Mississippi. The second regiment, which hereto- 
fore occupied the posts at the Sault de St. Marie, Green Bay and Mackinac, 
moved down to occupy the posts of forts Gratiot and Niagara, the residue of 
the regiment being at Houlton Plantations. The fifth regiment, which was 
stationed with the sixth at the school of instruction at Jetferson barracks, re- 
lieved the second at Green Bay, Sault de St. Marie, and Mackinac, besides 
furnishing two companies for the garrison at Chicago. The march of the 
fifth regiment by the way of the Ouisconsin and Fox rivers must have pro- 
duced an imposing effect on the tribes of Indians through whose country it 
passed; an effect vphich was contemplated by the movement. 
;;: * -^ 

E.xecuting the order of the secretary of war, the adjutant general of 

the United States, under the direction of General Macomb, issued 

"Orders 44," under date of August 19, 1828, which directed: 

The three companies of the first regiment of infantry, now at Fort Howard, 
to proceed forthwith under the command of Major Twiggs of that regiment to 
the portage between the Fox and Ouisconsin rivers, there to select a position 
and establish a military post. 

By command of Maj.-Gen. Macomb. 

R. Jones, Adjt. Gen. 

An additional reason for the establishment of the fort is given in the 

History of Columbia County, not referred to in the official reports, which 

may contain many grains of truth: 

There was necessity for some means of protection to the fur trade from 
Winnebago exactions, * * * the general government at the solicitation 
of John Jacob Astor, who was then at the head of the American Fur com- 
pany, and upon whose goods the Indians levied exorbitant tolls, authorized 
the erection of a post at the portage.* 

* * 'K 

Sept. 7 foil-owing, Maj. David E. Twiggs reported his arrival at the 
fort which was to be established, as follows: t 

Fort Winnebago, September 7, 1828. 
Sir: I have the honor of reporting my arrival at the fort with my com- 
mand this day. I have selected a position for the fort on the right bank of 
the Fox river, immediately opposite the portage. The Indians, I am told, are 
very much dissatisfied with the location of troops here; as yet I have not been 



*John Jacob Astor had a trading post at the portage which was under the 
care of Pierre Pauquette. A person who was here at the time informed a cor- 
respondent living in the east that "a party named Astor had influenced the 
government to establish a military post here to protect his trading post from 
the Indians." 

tMorgan L. Martin, in Wis. Hist. Colls., xi, p. 399, speaks of having met 
Maj. Twiggs at Butte des Morts, with three companies of soldiers in boats on 
their way to establish the garrison at Fort Winnebago. Jefferson Davis, just 
graduated at West Point, v;as one of his lieutenants. 



COLUMBIA COUNTY 93 

able to see any of the chiefs, consequently cannot say with any certainty what 
their dispositions are. 

Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 

D. E. Twiggs, Major First Infantry. 

The site selected for the fort was occupied by Francis le Roy, but 
satisfactory terms were made with him for its occupancy by the gov- 
ernment. Macomb's request to have the land selected for the fort with- 
drawn from market, was made January 10, 1835, and was approved by 
President Jackson, February 9, of the same year. 

Maj. Twiggs reported December 29, 1S28, what had been done in the 

matter of temporary buildings, for the shelter of his command, prior to 

the construction of the fort buildings proper; the report is here given 

in full: 

After completing the temporary buildings I commenced procuring materials 
for the quarters, etc., and soon will have square timber enough for two block- 
houses. I have (and will continue through the winter) six saws, sawing 
flooring, weather boarding and other lumber. We have about twenty thous- 
and feet of all kinds, and hope by spring to have sufficient to complete the 
buildings. The sash, blinds, etc., will be ready before the end of February. 
There will be wan*^ing three or four yoke of oxen, and as many carts, the 
shingles and lime can better be furnished by contract; all the other materials 
the command can procure: all the buildings had better be frame — logs can- 
not be had, and if they could, frame is cheaper and much better; all the tim- 
ber has to be brought from nine to eleven miles, but if the carts and oxen are 
furnished, and the lime and shingles got by contract, I can with ease complete 
the garri.son by next November. I would be pleased to hear from you on the 
subject as soon as convenient. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant. 
D. E. Twiggs, Major First Infantry. 

To Gen. A. Atkinson Commanding. 

The temporary barracks were constructed of logs obtained principally 
on what is known, locally, as Pine Island, about six miles west of Port- 
age; they were probably a litde east of the fort subsequently erected, 
and resembled the cabins which are always put up in logging camps for 
the use of the men; but nothing more definite concerning them is now 
obtainable. It is presumed that the instructions that Twiggs desired 
were not long delayed, for we know that active operations for the erec- 
tion of the fort were soon in progress. 

Lieut. Jefferson Davis, later the chieftain of the Confederacy, has 
recorded the fact that he went up the Yellow River, a tributary of the 
Wisconsin, some fifty miles distant, and got out the pine logs to be 
used in the construction of the fort, which were rafted down in the spring 
and hauled across the portage with teams and were wrought into proper 
form with whipsaw, broadax, and adz. Another party was detailed 



94 THE FAMILY TREE OF 

to get out the needed stone, of which a great quantity was used, at 
Stone Quarry Hill, the place where the most of the stone used in Port- 
age tor building purposes, has ever since been obtained.^ The bricks 
were manufactured near the present Wisconsin river bridge, at what we 
know as "Armstrong's brickyard." Lime was burned by another de- 
tail at or near Pauquette's farm on the Bellefountain, one of the best 
and most widely known farms in the state, f 

An enormous well was sunk in the very center of the square, around 
which the usual fort buildings were constructed, and it has continued 
from its never-failing fountain to contribute to the comfort of the thirsty 
pilgrim until the present day; but a modern windmill now does the duty 
that was formerly so tedious and irksome. So all hands were busy. 
Officers, who in after years became distinguished in the war with Mex- 
ico, the Florida and other Indian wars, and the great conflict involving 
the perpetuity of our Union, planned and wrought with the common 
soldier in bringing into form the fort and the necessary accompanying 
buildings. Stables, hospitals, bakeries, blacksmith shops, commissary 
buildings, ice cellars (which were filled from Swan Lake), sutlers' 
stores, magazines, laundries, bathhouses, etc., rapidly sprang into ex- 
istence. Gardens were also cleared, and old soldiers have recorded the 
fact that they could not be excelled in the matter of the quantity and 
quality of the vegetables produced. A theater was erected, and doubt- 
less professional tragedians would have hidden their faces in confusion 



* In 1880 I addressed Gen. Davis in the hope that he might have in his col- 
lections a photograph of Fort Winnebago and received the following in reply: 
Beau VOIR, Harrison Co., Miss., May 5, 1880. 

,L J. Tunwr, Es<j. — Dear Sir: I do not think I ever received a copy of the 
engraving of Fort Winnebago. Certainly, I have none now. The place had 
such interest to me that if I had ever received a picture of it, I could not fail 
to remember the fact. When I first served there, we had only log huts con- 
nected by a stockade, all being designed for defense against the Indians at 
that time more or less hostile. As the Indians became more friendly, the 
stockade work was substituted by conveniently constructed barracks with 
block houses at the diagonal angles, and the grounds around it so improved, 
that when I left it to participate in the Black Hawk campaign, it had become 
a very handsome post. 

I hope you will be able to obtain and preserve the picture of it in its im- 
proved condition, and it would add to its historical interest if you could ob- 
tain a sketch of the original stockade work. 

Rc^spectfully yours, 

Jefferson Davis. 

tJetferson Davis— a Memoir, by his wife (N. Y., 1890), vol. i, pp. 80-83. 
See also, Wis. Hist. Colls., viii, p. 310. 



COL L LMBIA CO UNT } ' 



95 



if they could have witnessed their own best efforts put to shame by the 
young officers who took the leading parts. 

While all this was going on regular military duty was not neglected, 
and drills and parades were indulged in of course; the stars and stripes 
were regularly given to the breeze at the roll of the drum at guard 
mounting, and lowered with the same accompaniment at retreat; morn- 
ing and evening guns were sounded, the reveille called the soldiers to 
duty in the gray light of the morning, and "taps" sent them to retire- 
ment in the blue light of the evening. 




LIEUT. JEFFERSON DAV 



In the regular course of military movements, some of the companies 
first doing duty here were transferred to different posts, and their 
places were taken by others ; and so it happened that many whose 
names were enrolled on the scroll of fame in after years, were initiated 
into the science of war at Fort Winnebago. Perhaps the most promi- 
nent of them all was Lieutenant Jefferson Davis, then subaltern of Capt. 



96 THE FA MIL Y TREE OF 

William S. Harney, To his honor, be it said, his services at Fort Win- 
nebago were highly creditable. I have heard it remarked by those who 
knew him here, that he had no liking for the amusements to which of- 
ficers, as well as private soldiers, resort to relieve the tedium of camp 
life; but that he was ever engaged, when not in active service, in some 
commendable occupation. His services in the lumber camps on the 
Yellow River, and his successful mission in bringing down fleets of 
lumber through the DjI's of the Wisconsin, attest to his faithfulness as 
a soldier. 




Lieut. Horatio Phillips Van Cleve went to the front early in the War 
of Rebellion as colonel of the Second Minnesota, and achieved dis- 
tinction, retiring with the rank of major-general; he was one of the 
finest graduates of the old fort. At the battle of Stone River, Lt. Van 
Cleve was in command of a subdivision of the Army of the Ohio, and 
was severely wounded. Greeley's "History of the American Conflict" 
erroneously records him as killed. He recovered from his wounds, 
and served with distinction until the close of the war. Lt. Van Cleve 
married Charlotte Ouisconsin Clark, daughter of Maj. Nathan Clark, at 
Fort Winnebago in 1836, this lady having been born at Fort Crawford 



COLUMBIA COUNTY 97 

(Prairie du Chien) in 1S19 and was the first woman of pure Saxon 
blood born within the present limits of Wisconsin. Her father, the 
major, died at Fort Winnebago and was buried in the old military 
cemetery, but his remains were subsequently removed to Cincinnati. 

Next to Lieutenant Davis, should be mentioned Maj. David E. 
Twiggs, of the First Infantry, under whose immediate superintendence 
the fort was constructed, as already stated. Subsequently, Twiggs dis- 
tinguished himself at the battle of Monterey, in the Mexican War. He 
was dismissed from the federal service in February, 1861, for surren- 
dering the United States stores in Texas, before that state had seceded, 
and was a Confederate general for a time. One of Twiggs' lieutenants 
here, was Captain W. S, Harney, who was brevetted a colonel for mer- 
itorious conduct in several engagements with hostile Indians in Florida, 
and became famous as an Indian fighter; he was also brevetted a brig- 
adier-general for long and faithful service. 

Capt. E. V. Sumner, who became so renowned for his famous cavalry 
charge at the battle of Cerro Gordo, in which he was wounded, and 
who subsequently distinguished himself at Contreras, Churubusco, and 
Molino del Rey, in Mexico, was also here. Captain Sumner led an ex- 
pedition against the Cheyenne Indians in Kansas; he commanded the 
left wing of the federal army at the siege of Yorktown; was in all of the 
battles of the Peninsula, and was twice wounded; was again wounded 
at Antietam, and at the battle of Fredericksburg commanded the right 
grand division of the army. He was one of old Fort Winnebago's 
brightest jewels. 

Lieut. Randolph B. Marcy was on duty at Fort Winnebago in 
1837-40; captain in 1846, and in active service during the Mexican 
War, later being on frontier duty for many years. During the Civil 
War, he was chief- of-stafif under his son-in-law. Gen. George B. 
McClellan, in T861-62, attaining the rank of inspector-general and 
brevet brigadier-general. General Marcy was the author of several 
volumes descriptive of frontier life and service. 

Lieut. Nathan B. Rossell joined (1839) the Fifth Infantry at Fort 
Winnebago, his first post. He was with his regiment in the Mexican 
War, being severely wounded at Molino del Rey. He was brevetted 
for distinguished services and was presented by his native state. New 
Jersey, with a gold sword. He was in command at Fort Albuquerque, 



9S 



THE FA MIL Y TREE OF 









COLUMBIA COUN'IY 



99 



N. Mex., when the Civil War broke out. He was ordered into 
active sei vice, being killed while in command of the Third Infantry, at 
Gaines' Mill. 

Lieut. Ephraim Kirby Smith,* who was killed in the battle of Molino 
del Rey, Mexico, was also at the Fox-Wisconsin portage even prior to 
the establishment of the fort. A stray manuscript leaf from some of the 
army records left at the fort when it was evacuated, and now in pos- 
session of one of the citizens ot Portage, contains the proceedings of a 
court-martial whereat the brevet lieutenant was tried for insubordination, 
being charged with having "refused to take orders from any d — d 
militia captain." 

Dr. Lyman Foot, eminent as a surgeon and physician, — who spent 
much of his early manhood at various military posts on the frontier, 
and who was greatly esteemed for his social qualities and professional 
attainments, — w'as long remembered by early citizens of Portage. 
Lieut. John Pegram, who became a distinguished confederate general, 
and lost his life near Petersburg in 1867; Lieut. John T. Collinsworth, 
who resigned in 1836 and became inspector-general of the republic ot 
Texas, dying in 1837 at the age of 28; Col. James S. Mcintosh, who 
■was mortally wounded at the battle of Molino del Rey, in Mexico, in 
1846; Lieut. John J. Abercrombie, who commanded the union forces 
at the battle ol Falling Waters, one of the first engagements in the late 
war; Lieut. Alexander S. Hooe, who greatly distinguished himself at 
the battles of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma, in the latter of which 
he lost an arm; Lieut. Pinkney Lugenbeel, who was brevetted for 
gallant and meritorious conduct in the battles of Contreras, Churu- 
busco and Chapultepec in the Mexican War, and served in the army of 
tha Potomac; Lieuts. Ferdinand S. Mumford and Samuel B. Hayman, 
who acquired honorable distinction in the Civil War, and un- 
doubtedly others of merit whose names do not occur to me, were here. 

Little did these young officers, as they gathered around the festive 
board and sang: 



*Ephraim Kirby Smith must not be confounded with Edmund Kirby 
Smith— tliese men were cousins, I think, and both were appointed from the 
state of Florida, and both were lieutenants in the 5th infantry, but E. Kirby 
Smith, the dashing confederate general, did not join the 5th Regt. while it was 
stationed at Fort Winnebago. The similarity of names has led some persons 
into error in writing of them, myself among the number. 



THE FAMIL Y TREE OF 











d £ 



COLUMBIA COUNTY loi 

In the' army there's sobriety, 
Promotion's very slow, 
We'll si^h o'er reminiscences of Benny Havens, 01 
Old Benny Havens, O! Old Benny Havens, O! 
We'll sigh o'er reminiscences of Benny Havens, O!* 
do more than dream of the promotion which was soon to be theirs; 
but the war with Mexico was near at hand, and promotion came to them 
very rapidly. 

Among the earhest to arrive at the fort 
was Capt. Gideon Low, who came here 
with his command from Green Bay in 1831 . 
In the Black Hawk War, Capt. Low was 
ordered to Fort Atkinson; and after the 
danger was over there he returned to Fort 
Winnebago, where he remained on duty 
until 1S40, when he resigned. Prior to his 
resignation he built the Franklin House, 
in 183S, which became so famous as a hos- 
telry in the early days of Portage. Capt. 
Low died at the agency in 1850, and was 
buried in the cemetery at the fort; but subsequendy his remains were 
removed to Silver Lake cemetery. 

Of those who were at the Fox-Wisconsin portage, in early times, 
years before the fort had an existence, was Pierre Pauquette. He was 
born at St. Louis in 1796, and married Therese Crelie, daughter of the 
noted Joseph Crelie. His early manhood was spent among the Indians 
in the Far West, in the fur trade. Subsequently he became the agent 
of the American Fur Company at the portage, and was the agent of 
Joseph Rolette in the transportation business. He was slain by an In- 
dian named Mauzamoneka (or Iron Walker), in 1836, with whom he 
had had some trouble, at a spot near the present site of the Catholic 
church in Portage. He was one of the best known men in the West 
and his tragic death produced a sensation equal to what might be ex- 




(APT. OIDEON LOW. 



* "Benny Havens" was an army melody, very popular at our frontier posts 
sixty years ago. See "Grant's Appointment to West Point," McClure's 
Magazine, January, 1897. "Benny Havens" was one of the institutions at 
West Point — a little tavern and bar on the riverbank, just outside of the res- 
ervation. It was considered very wild to slip down to Benny's and smoke a 
cigar and drink a glass of gin. 



THE FAMIL Y TREE OF 



perienced if the most distinguished man in Wisconsin today sliould be 
assassinated; for he was a famous man in many ways, and was held in 
the highest esteem by both whites and Indians. For years alu r his 
death he was the most talked about man in this section. At the time 
of his death he was Hving across the river, where Judge Bartlen now 
resides, and some of the latter's farm buildings were erected tjv Pau- 
quette. His daughter, Therese, who is still living, and a re>ident of 
Caledonia, speaks of frequent visits to her father's place by Lieutenant 
Jefferson Davis and Captain Gideon Low. 

Another noted character hereabouts was Jean Baptiste Du Bav, 
whose trading post was on the hill opposite the fort and just east of the 
Indian Agency, having succeeded to the interest of Pauquette, after tl e 
latter's death. He killed William S. Reynolds on the premises, in 1857, 
over a land title dispute, an event that attracted great interest at the 
aai which ever after clouded an otherwise honorable career. 

Henry Merrell was at the fort also; he 
was a sutler there in 1834, and afierwards 
became the agent of the American Fur 
Company, filling many positions of honor 
and trust; he was the first senator from 
this district when the State was organized, 
and his descendants have converted the site 
of the old military fort from its warlike ;ip- 
pearance to the more peaceful one c f a 
well appointed farm. 

So also Satterlee Clark, who was ap- 
pointed a sutler by President Jackson in 
1830; but being a minor he wa-; unable to take charge of the position 
in his own name, and it was farmed out to Oliver Newbury of Detroit, 
Clark becoming his clerk. He devoted the most of his time, however, 
to the Indian trade, Clark was lor muiy years a seiiitor from Dodge 
Co. With all of his peculiarities, and often extravagant expressions of 
speech, he was a most companionable man, and a true courtier to ladies 
who admired him. Clark was married at the old Indian Agency 
house on the hill just opposite the fort, which is still standing, to a 
daughter of Mr. Jones, the sutler. And here it should be stated that 
this house was built fur John H. Kinzie, the sub Indian agent, who was 




HENRY MERRELL. 



COLUMBIA COUNTY 103 

a son of John Kinzie, whose name occupies so prominent a page in the 
early history of Chicago, he being a post- trader at Fort Dearborn at 
the time of the massacre of the garrison by the Indians in 18 12.* John 
H. Kinzie died on a Fort Wayne railway train January 28, 1S65, of 
heart disease. 

After describing the approach to the fort in a canoe, by the tortuous 
windings of the Fox, Mrs. Kinzie writes: 

"Maj. and Mrs. Twiggs and a few of the younger officers (for nearly 
all the older ones were absent), with our brother Robert, or as he is 
called throughout all the Indian tribes, "Bob,' gave us a cordial welcome 
— how cordial those alone can know who have come, like us, to a re- 
mote isolated home in the wilderness. The major insisted on our taking 
possession at once of vacant quarters in the fori instead of the agency, 
as had been proposed. No, we must be under the same roof with 
them. Mrs. Twiggs had been without a companion of her own sex for 
more than four months, and would certainly not hear of a separation 
now. But we must be their guests until the arrival of the boats con- 
taining our furniture, which, under the care of our old acquaintance, 
Hamilton Arndt, was making its way slowly up from Green Bay. A 
dinner had been prepared for us. This is one of the :idvantages of the 
zig-zag approach by the Fox river — traders never take their friends by 
surprise; and when the whole circle sat down to the hospitable board 
we were indeed a merry company. After dinner, Mrs. Twiggs showed 
me the quarters assigned to us on the opposite side of the hall. Thty 
consisted of two large rooms on each side of the building. On the 
ground floor the front room was vacant. The one in the rear was to be 
the sleeping apartment, as was evident from a huge, unwieldy bedstead 
of proportions amply sufficient to have accommodated Og, the King of 
Bashan, with Mrs. Og and the children into the bargain. This evidently 
had been built under the immediate supei intendence of one of our young 
lieutenants (Jefferson Davis) and it was plain to be seen that both he, 
and the soldiers who fabricated it, had exhausted all their architectural 
skill. The timber of which it was composed had been grooved and 

*Mrs. John H. Kinzie was the author of that entertaining volume of remin- 
iscences of life at frontier yjosts, "Wau-Bun." From this book (eh. viii). her 
account of her arrival at Fort Winnebago in 1880, in company vvitli her ha.3- 
band, who was to have charge of the Indian Agency, is transcribed. Mrs. 
Twiggs was the only woman who had preceded her to the fort. 



I04 



THE FA MIL Y TREE OF 



carved, the pillars that supported the front swelled in and out in a most 
fanciful manner; the doors were not only paneled, but radiated in a way 
to excite the admiration of all unsophisticated eyes. A similar piece of 
workmanship had been erected in each set of quarters, to supply the 
deficiency of closets, an inconvenience which had never occurred, until 
too late, to the bachelors who planned them. The three apartments of 
uhich each structure was composed were unquestionably designed for 
clothes-press, storeroom, and china closet; such at least were the uses to 
which Mrs. Twiggs had appropriated the one assigned to her. There 
was this slight difficulty, that in the latter the shelves were too close to 
admit setting in even a gravyboat, but they made up in number what 
was wanting in space. We christened the whole affair in honor of its 
projector, a 'Davis,' thus placing the first laurel on the brow of one who 
was afterward to signalize himself in cabinet making of quite a different 
character." It will be remembered that Davis himself was a member of 
President Pierce's cabinet, and that he constructed an entire cabinet on 
liis own account as president of the Confederate States. 

When the Kinzies arrived at the fort, 
they found the Winnebagoes assembled 
in anticipation of the arrival of Shaw- 
neeawkee (the Indian name for the agent), 
who was to pay them their annuities. 
"The woods were now brilliant with tints 
of autumn," Mrs, Kinzie wrote, ''and the 
scene around us was further enlivened by 
groups of Indians in all directions, and 
their lodges which were scattered here and 
there in the vicinity of the Agency build- 
ings. On the low grounds might be seen 
the white tents of the traders, already prepared to send out winter sup- 
plies to the Indians, in exchange for the annuity money they were about 
to receive. 

"Preparatory to this event, the great chief of the Winnebago nation, 
'Four Legs' (Hootschope), whose village was on Doty's Island at the 
foot of Lake Winnebago, had thought proper to take a little carouse, 
as is too apt to be the custom when the savages come into the neigh- 
boVhood of a sutler's establishment. In the present instance, the facil- 







4 


y ■ -V 


M 


^^ 


\M 


9Kj1_ 



•lOHN H. KIXZII 



COLUMBIA COUNTY 105 

ities for a season of intoxication had been augmented by the presence 
on the ground of some traders, too regardless of the very stringent laws 
prohibiting the sale of liquor to Indians. 

"Poor Four Legs could not stand this full tide of prosperity. Un- 
checked by the presence of his father, the agent, he carried his indul- 
gence to such excess that he fell a victim in the course of a few days. 
His funeral had been celebrated with unusual pomp the day before our 
arrival, and great was my disappointment at finding myself too late to 
witness all the ceremonies. 

"His body, according to their custom, having been wrapped in a 
blanket and placed in a rude coffin along with his guns, tomahawk, 
pipes, and a quantity of tobocco, had been carried to the most elevated 
point of the hill opposite the fort, followed by an immense procession of 
his people, whooping, beating their drums, howling and making alto- 
gether what is emphatically termed a 'pow-wow. ' 

"After the interment of his body a stake was planted at his head, on 
which was painted in vermillion a series of hieroglyphics, descriptive of 
the great deeds and events of his life. The whole was then surrounded 
with pickets of the trunks of the tamarack trees, and thither the friends 
would come for many successive days to renew the expression of their 
grief, and to throw over the grave tobacco and other offerings to the 
Great Spirit." 

We might imagine that the bones of the great Four Legs repose there 
still, a little in the rear of the Agency building; but they probably do 
not, for the graves of the Indians were usually very shallow, and the 
tiller of the soil, as he "drove his team a-field," would often turn their 
bones to the surface to be whitened in the sun; and it became in after 
years quite fashionable for white men to desecrate the Indian graves in 
pursuit of relics. Frequently no other covering than a roof of slabs, in 
the form of a \ was given to them. 

Continuing her narrative of events occurring at the fort immediately 
at'ter their arrival, Mrs. Kinzie relates the "calls" they received from 
the principal chiefs, who had put on their best blankets, gaudiest 
feathers, and paint to receive their new "mother." 

There was Nawkaw or Carrymaunee (The Walking Turtle), who, 
the principal chief of his tribe, was beside Tecumseh when he fell at the 
battle of the Thames, and old "Daykauray," — Schachipkaka (White 



io6 THE FA MIL Y TREE OF 

War Eagle), as Mrs. Kinzie spells it, but which is always written, lo- 
cally, "Dekorra." 

Mrs. Kinzie spoke of her caller as "the most noble, dignified and 
venerable of his own, or indeed of any tribe. His fine Roman counte- 
nance, rendered still more striking by his bald head, with one solitary 
tuft of long silvery hair neatly tied and falling back on his shoulders; 
his perfectly neat, appropriate dress, almost without ornament, and his 
courteous demeanor, never laid aside under any circumstances, all com- 
bining to give him the highest place in the consideration of all who 
knew him. It will hereafter be seen," Mrs. Kinzie adds, "that his 
traits of character were not less grand and striking than were his per- 
sonal appearance and deportment." 

Mrs. Kinzie probably had in mind, when she penned the following 
paragraph, the time when the Indians were reduced to dire extremities 
for food. The game had been driven off by the troops and war parties 
the preceding summer, and soup made of slippery elm and stewed 
acorns was the only food that many of them had subsisted upon for 
weeks. Their condition was wretched in the extreme, and could only 
be relieved by the arrival of the stores that were expected to come up 
Fox River by the boat. While this condition of affairs existed, Mrs. 
Kinzie wrote: "The noble old De-kau ry came one day from the Bar- 
ribault (Baraboo) to apprise us of the state in his village. More than 
forty of his people he said had now been for many days without food, 
save bark and roots. My husband accompanied him to the command- 
ing officer to tell his story and ascertain if any amount of food could be 
obtained from that quarter. The result was the promise of a small al- 
lowance of tiour, sufficient to alleviate the cravings of his own family. 
When this was explained to the chief, he turned away, 'No,' he said, 
'if my people could not be relieved, I and my family will starve with 
them.' And he refused, for those nearest and dearest to him, the prof- 
fered succor, until all could share alike. When at last the boat ar- 
rived, the scene of exultation that followed was a memorable one. The 
bulky 'Wild Cat,' now greatly reduced in fiesh from his long fasting, 
seized the aristocratic 'Washington Woman,' Madam Thunder, and 
hugged and danced with her in exuberance of their joy." 

The soldiers apart from their garrison duties, were detailed to road- 



COLUMBIA COUNTY 107 

making. The old military highway between Fort Crawford (at Prairie 
du Chien) and Fort Howard (at Green Bay) was constructed wholly by 
them, and is still in use. Between times, some of the officers found 
time to go on the chase for deer in the neighboring forest. Our old 
friend"Mi-ja-jin-a ka"* (Falls to the Ground) but better known as Dixon, 
whose erect form was frequently seen on Portage streets, loves to tell 
how he used to paddle a canoe on Swan Lake and in the rice fields for 
"two good officers" (meaning soldiers of rank) to shoot ducks. 

So while old Fort Winnebago's history has not been distinguished by 
attacks, or massacres, or other stirring scenes, it has not been wholly 
uneventful. 

During the Black Hawk War, which followed the suppression of the 
Winnebago outbreak, the garrison at the fort was assigned to more 
active duty. A portion of it was sent to Fort Atkinson to strengthen 
that post, under command of Capt. Low. What remained was so 
meager as to invite an attack from the Winnebagos, of whose good in- 
tentions the inmates were not well assured. The approach of Black 
Hawk, in 1S32, was heralded, and consternation prevailed. t He de- 
toured to the south with his braves, and was attacked and put to flight 
at what is known as the battle of Wisconsin Heights, in the town of 
Roxbury, in Dane county, a short distance south of the town of We-t 
Point. Some amusing episodes occurred while the attack was in ex- 
pectancy, but no serious catastrophe resulted. 

Mrs. Van Cleve, in writing of her marriage and other occurrences at 
the fort, has recorded this incident: "During the following summer 
(1S36) a detachment of troops in command of Col. Zachary Taylur, ac- 
companied bv General Brady, came up to Fort Winnebago in conse- 
quence of an Indian scare, which was entirely imaginarv, and camped 
on the prairie, just outside the tort. Their coming was a very pleasant 
event, and the more so because there was not, and never had been, 
any danger from the Indians, who were very peaceable neighbors. But 
we enjoyed the visit exceedingly, and the officers were frequently enter- 
tained at our quarters, at their meals. Very opportunely for us, the 

*Mi-ja-jin-a-ka died at the Omaha reservation in 1908. 

|Hon. Satterlee Clark, in an addre.ss in Portage stated that Black Hawk 
approached the fort to within about four miles aVjove Swan Lake. He was 
manifestly in error, for it is known that the Sac chieftain did not come into 
Columbia county at all, during the Black Hawk War. 



io8 THE FA MIL Y TREE OF 

strawberries were abundant, and the flowers, which were beautiful and 
fresh every morning, were more lovely as ornaments than elegant plate 
of silver or gold." 

At the conclusion of the Black Hawk War, in 1832, a treaty stipula- 
tion was entered into for the cession of all the Indian lands south and 
east of the Fox and Wisconsin rivers. One of the stipulations of the 
treaty was the surrender of certain individuals of their tribe, accused of 
having participated with the Sacs in some murders. The men were sur- 
rendered, according to agreement, and were confined in the "black- 
hole," as it was called, being an enormous dungeon under one of the 
fort buildings, to await trial.. Although careful supervision was exer- 
cised, the Indians proceeded to plan their escape, and in about six 
weeks they had tunneled their way out under the walls in almost the 
precise manner that a number of Union officers made their escape from 
Libby prison thirty years later. That they might be as little encum- 
bered as possible in their flight, they left their blankets behind them; 
and although it was bitter December weather, they took to the woods 
with only their calico shirts and leggins for covering. The 
question among the officers of the fort was, how to get the fugitives 
back. Kinzie, the agent, could promise no more than that he would 
communicate with the chiefs and represent the wishes of the officers that 
the prisoners should once more surrender themselves, and thus free 
those who had the charge of them from the imputation of carelessness, 
which the government would be very likely to throw upon them. When, 
therefore, according to their custon, the Winnebago chiefs assembled 
at the agency on New Year's day, 1833. the agent laid the subject be- 
fore them. The Indians replied that if they saw the young men they 
would tell them what the officers would like to have them do. They 
could themselves do nothing in the matter. They had fulfilled their 
engagement by bringing them once, and putting them in the hands of 
the officers. The government had had them in its power once, and 
could not keep them; it must now go and catch them. 

The social amenities of life were not neglected in the least degree by 
the few ladies who gave grace by their refining presence to fort life. 
Calls were made and returned then as now, and a lady took her position 
in a canoe to make or return a call on an acquaintance, — at Fort Craw- 



COLUMBIA COUNTY 



109 



ford down the Wisconsin, 118 miles distant, or down the Fox to Fort 
Howard, about 175 miles away, — with less ado and trouble in arranging- 
her toilet for the occasion, than is sometimes experienced by our ladies 
of today in making a party call across the street. I have frequently 
heard a gentleman who was accustomed to escort ladies on such occa- 
sions, and paddle the canoe, and who made his bridal tour in that man- 
ner from the old Agency house to Green Bay, speak of the rare delight 
of these trips in a birchen canoe. 

Mrs. Kinzie, a delicate young lady, and a stranger to life beyond the 
frontier, has told us most entertainingly in her Wau-Bun, of her trips 
to Green Bay by boat, and of her gallops to and from Chicago, some- 
times in mid-winter, following bridle paths through the forests, fording 
swollen streams (for of bridges there were none), riding across treach- 
erous marshes and through swamps, braving storms and inclement 
weather, partaking of Indian diet in their lodges at times, and subsisting 
as best she might, and remembering it all as a pleasant part of life. 

Miss Marcy, daughter of Lieutenant Marcy (she later became the 
Avife of Gen. George B. McClellan), gave the garrison a joy with her 
childish antics, and I have heard habitues of the fort refer with pride to 
the times when they dandled the dear little miss on their knees. The 
voice of Major Twiggs' daughter, Lizzie, first resounded in the fort in 
1 83 1, and so she is entitled to the distinction, as I suppose, of being the 
first person of Anglo-Saxon blood born within the present limits of Co- 
lumbia county.* 

It is not recorded, so far as I know, that the ladies had any quilling 
parties at the fort, but it requires no very great stretch of imagination 
to suppose that they did; and that the Sorosis was the leading intellect- 
ual society, and that its half a score of members worked comfortable 
slippers of buckskin, ornamented with brilliant wampum under the in- 
structions of the dusky maidens, for New Year's presents for the young 
lieutenants, we may feel sure. The "Leisure Hour" society would 
have been much out of favor for there was no leisure for anybody; 
and the "Do Nothings" would have been hooted off the reservation, 
but no one thought of organizing such a society. The "Golden 
Gossips' ' probably existed under a less modern name, and undoubtedly 
included all the talent on the reservation, both male and female. The 



*-She died at the age of five, in Washington, D. C. 



no THE FAMILY TREE OF 

" Gastronomic Girls " (I think that was not its exact title) was in con- 
stant session, and great was the rivalry between its members for the 
honor of the most toothsome grilled venison steak or roasted canvas- 
back duck; and the "Silent Stitchers" never were idle and never were 
silent, I think. 

Mrs. Van Cleve has written: "The memory of the weekly musicals 
at John Kinzie's pleasant agency, and the delightful rides on horseback 
over the portage to the point where Portage City now stands, quickens 
my heart even now." As Mrs. Van Cleve (then Charlotte Ouisconsin 
Clark) was shortly afterward married to Lieutenant Van Cleve, it is 
not difficult to guess who her escort was on these occasions. It is re- 
corded that the ladies, ever foremost in good works, had a Sunday 
School in progress at the chapel, and let us feel well assured that the 
lessons they taught were fruitful of good results. 

Neither was education, temporal or spiritual, neglected, as we learn 
fromW. C. Whitford's paper on "Early History of Education in Wis- 
consin"* that Maj. John Green, commanding officer at Fort Winne- 
bago, engaged, 1835, Miss Eliza Haight as governess in his family; he 
allowed the children of other officers of the fort to attend the school. 
There were in all about a dozen pupils. In the spring of 1840, Rev. 
S. P. Keyes became both chaplain and schoolmaster of the fort, and 
taught about twenty children, some of them over twelve years of age. 

In the spring of 1833 the garrison was excited over the arrival of a 
clergyman, the Rev. Aratus Kent, of Galena, who was accompanied 
by his wife. "This event" Mrs. Kinzie wrote, "is memorable as being 
the first occasion on which the gospel, according to the Protestant 
faith, was preached at Fort Winnebago. The large parlor of the hos- 
pital was fitted up for the service, and gladly did we say to each other: 
'Let us go to the house of the Lord!' For nearly three years had we 
lived here without the blessing of a public service of praise and thanks- 
giving. We regarded this commencement as an omen of better times^ 
and our little 'sewing society' worked with renewed industry to raise a 
fund which might be available hereafter in securing the permanent 
services of a missionary.'" 

The efforts of the ladies in their religious work were sometimes turned 



*Wis. Hist. Colls., V. p. .331. The latest history of the subject is Steam's 
Columbian History of Education in Wisconsin (Milw., 1893). j 



COLUMBIA COUNTY in 

in the direction of the Indians. Explaining the nature of their eiTorts 
to our old friend Dandy, he responded: ''That is right; I am glad to 
see you doing your duty; I am very religious myself and I like to see 
others so. I always take care that my squaws attend to their duties, 
not reading, perhaps, but such as the Great Spirit liked, and such as I 
think proper and becoming." 

The chapel, after the evacuation of the fort, continued to be used as 
such, and the late Rev. William Wells and the late Rev. Isaac Smith 
were accustomed to officiate there. 



The spirit of speculation was also abroad, and army officers and their 
thrifty friends invested in government lands, and laid out on paper 
many a promising city. One of these embraced a considerable tract of 
land adjoining the military reserve on the east, fronting in part on 
Swan Lake and extending back to Stone Quarry Hill, to which was 
given the pretentious name of "Wisconsinapolis." When the capital 
of the state was being located, the embryo city received six affirmative 
votes, to seven in the negative. This proposition has been thought by 
some, unacquainted with its natural advantages, to have been a prepos- 
terous one; as a matter of fact it was a most eligible and appropriate 
location for the capital. Another village, called "Ida," occupies the 
precise spot on Swan Lake, platted recently as Oakwood, which prom- 
ises to become , a popular resort. Another one on the south side of 
Swan Lake was called "Winnebago City," but better known in the 
east as "Swan Lake City," and now much better known as "Wardle's 
Farm," 



While the officers hunted and fished, and speculated in wild lands 
and city lots by day, and indulged in games and festivities and theatri- 
cals at night, and the ladies knit and crocheted and did bead work and 
conducted Sabbath schools, and attended to their household duties as 
well as they could with their surroundings, the soldiers stood sentry, 
and between times visited the suder's stores and trading posts, and 
made merry generally by day and sang "Benny Havens, O!" by 
night. And so the suder's store wou4d resound with: 

'Tis said that all republics 

To their veterans thankless grow, 
And for a vouth of services 



112 THE FAMILY TREE OF 

Award an age of woe: 
But if a private station brings 

More honor here below, 
Give me the one now occupied 

By Benny Havens, O! 
Old Benny Havens, O! Old Benny Havens, O! 

Give me the one novr occupied by Benny Havens, O! 

while the plaintive strains of "Alice Gray" and other less roystering 
songs would be waited over the moor, after full honor had been done 
to "Benny Havens, O!" until the signal was given for retreat. In 
brief, army life at Fort Winnebago was very much like army life else- 
where. Athletics and theatricals, games and races, relieved the tedium; 
and discipline and demoralization, vice and virtue went hand in hand. 

The old fort, however, like all earthly things, had its day. The ap- 
proaching war with Mexico had reached its threatening stage; and pre- 
paratory for it, orders for the evacuation were issued in 1845, the 
troops being sent to St. Louis to relieve those stationed at Jefferson 
Barracks, who had been ordered to the Gulf, and a little later they 
followed them to the sanguinary fields of Mexico. When the evacua- 
tion took place, the fort was left in charge of Sergeant Van Camp; but 
he died shortly after, when Capt. William Weir was placed in charge, 
he having been a soldier in the Florida War and afterward at the fort. 
Later, he was a soldier in the Civil War. In 1853, the property was 
sold under the direction of Jefferson Davis, then secretary of war, who, 
as lieutenant in the army twenty three-years before, had assisted in the 
construction of the fort. 

The fixtures and furniture left at the fort, when it was evacuated, were 
disposed of at auction or carried away at will; and many a family in 
the vicinage can boast of some old fort relic; the famous "Davises" 
could have been found in the inventories of the household effects of 
some families, and they may be in existence somewhere yet. An old 
sideboard that was in service at the Agency, presumably Mrs. Kin- 
zie's, is one of the treasures in James Collins' household; and a bu- 
reau and sideboard, which constituted a part of the furniture in one 
of the officer's quarters, is in possession of Mrs. O. P. Williams; as 
is also the old carved wooden eagle that was perched over the main 
entrance.* 



"^[The eagle is now in the D. A. R. department of the Portage Public 
Library.] 



COLUMBIA COUNTY 113 

' As a necessary adjunct to the fort, a cemetery was established. It 
was not largely populated from the garrison, and the graves of none of 
the soldiers who died there during its occupancy are marked by stones. 
Major Clark and Captain Low were buried there; but, their remains 
were finally removed to the family grounds elsewhere. Robert Irwin, 
Jr., the Indian agent, died there July, 1S33, but was buried at Fort 
Howard. Participants of all of the wars in which our country has been 
engaged have their last resting place in the cemetery. ^^ 

The cemetery seems to have been made general for the public for a 
period, and not a few of the families of citizens, more or less prominent, 
were buried there; but finally the national authorities took it directly in 
charge and built a substantial fence around it, and restricted its use to 
the military. Burials there in the future must be very few indeed; but 
it should be the duty of the national government to care for it more be- 
fittingly in the future. At present the cemetery is in charge of Wau- 
Bun chapter, D. A. R. and a miserable pittance is allowed for caring 
for it. Let this munificence of the government be spoken of in a whisper. 

And now "Old Fort Winnebago," renowned by the presence in camp, 
according to tradition, of the gentle priest and teacher, Pere Jacques 
Marquette, carrying tidings to the savage of the Master and of the life 
to come, and bearing the message of peace on earth, and erecting be- 
fore his wondering eyes the symbol of his faith on the very spot where, 
150 years later, were erected the artifices and appliances of war, and 
occupied by men whose names illume the pages of the history of our 
country; where the soldier stood sentry in the darkness of night to give 
warning of approaching danger; where flocks and herds now graze un- 
disturbed, and the husbandman follows his peaceful pursuits with none 
to molest him or make him afraid, we take leave of you. 

*The graves of one of the veterans of tlie Revolution, who was buried there, 
is discernible, the stone marking- it bearing this inscription: Cooper Pixley, 
died March 12, 1855, .IE 86y., 7 m., 26 D. Soldier of the Revolution. The 
Wau-Bun chapter, D. A. R., annually repair thither on Memorial Day to 
give appropriate honor to the memory of the old soldier, one of the three, so 
far as is known, of the soldiers of the Revolution whose bones repose in Wis- 
consin soil. Soldiers of the War of 1812, of the war with the Seminoles in 
Florida, the Mexican war, the Black Hawk war, the Civil War, and the 
Spanish war, as well as of soldiers who served their country in the regular 
army but were not called to the battle field, find eternal rest in the ceme- 
tery, but their graves are unknown, the headboards which once marked 
them having been destroyed by a fire which swept over it. A small sand 
stone on which "Lyman Foot" is roughly chiseled, marks the spot in which 
an infant child of Surgeon Lyman Foot is buried, and is annually decorated. 

8 



114 THE FAMILY TREE OF 

CHAPTER XXI. 

THE WINNEBAGO UPRISING — SURRENDER OF RED BIRD. 

In 1827, near Prairie du Chien, murders perpetrated upon some 
white families, and an attack on a keel boat returning from Fort Snell- 
ing with some soldiers aboard of it, by Winnebago Indians, had ex- 
cited the greatest consternation and produced widespread alarm. The 
affair was believed to be the beginning of a general outbreak on the part 
of the red skins and prompt measures were resorted to to give protection 
to the inhabitants, Troops were dispatched to the scene of action from 
Jefferson Barracks (St. Louis) and Fort Howard (Green Bay). 

It is ioreign to present purposes to give a detailed account of the oc- 
currences alluded to, or of the events which led up to them, as historians 
have taken widely different views of them. It is the old story over again 
that, when Indians and whites have been brought in close contact, there 
has never cropped out, in the conduct of either party, any very tender 
solicitude for the welfare and happiness of the other. Where trouble 
has occurred it is like a Kentucky feud, of remote beginning and never 
ending. 

One fact, and one only, in the "Winnebago Uprising," stands out 
clear and undisputed: murders were committed upon unoffending per- 
sons and were marked with great barbarity, and "Red Bird," a Winne- 
bago Chief, whose village was on the Mississippi river, in Trempealeau 
county, was implicated in them. Previous to the murders he had been 
held in good esteem by the whites and was trusted implicitly by them. 

Hon. M. M. Strong in his "History of Wisconsin," makes this men- 
tion of him: "Red Bird had not only been well known at Prairie du 
Chien, but had the confidence and respect of all the inhabitants to such 
an extent that he was always sought after as a protector, and his pres- 
ence was looked upon as a pledge of security against any outbreak that 
might be attempted." Those who would know more of the particu- 
lars of the tragedy are referred to the Wisconsin Historical Collections. 

After the murder Red Bird, and the other Indians implicated in the 
affair, fled up the Wisconsin river, and a mounted force to operate 
against the Winnebagoes as a body scoured both sides of the river up 
to Portage. Maj. Whistler, who was in command at Fort Howard, 
had been ordered by Gen. Atkinson to go up the Fox to the portage 



COLUMBIA COUNTY 



115 



with any force at his disposal. A company of Oneida and Stockbridge 
Indians accompanied Maj. Whisder's troops, and were encamped on 
the bluff opposite the portage where Fort Winnebago was subsequently 
built to await the arrival of the general. In the meantime the Winne- 
bagoes, to the number of several hundred, were encamped on the ridge 
along where Cook street now runs, west of the Catholic church. The 
Winnebagoes had heard of Gen. Atkinson's approach, and Col. 
Dodge's pursuit, before they were known to Maj. Whistler, and in a 
few days a great stir was discovered among the Indians, and a party of 
thirty warriors was observed, by the aid of a field glass, on an eminence 
in the distance. It was Red Bird and his party coming in to surrender. 
The details of the surrender have been most graphically described by 
Col. Thomas L. McKenney, who was present with Maj. Whistler's 
command at the surrender: 

"At about noon of the day following, there was seen descending a 
mound on the portage (Ketchum's Point) a body of Indians — some 
were mounted and some were on foot. By the aid of a glass we could 
discern the direction to be toward our position, and that three flags 
were borne by them — two, one in front and one in the rear, were 
American, and one in the center was white. They bore no arms. ^ 
* -'^ In the course of half an hour they had approached within a 
short distance of the crossing of the Fox River, when on a sudden we 
heard a singing. Those who were familiar with the air said: 'It is a 
death song!' When still nearer, some present who knew him said: 
' It is Red Bird singing his death song!' The moment a halt was 
made on the margin of the river, preparatory to crossing, two scalp 
yells were heard. The Menominees and other Indians who had accom- 
panied us, were lying carelessly about upon the ground regardless of 
what was going on, but when the scalp yells were uttered they sprang 
as one man to their feet, seized their rifles and were ready for battle. 
They were at no loss to know that the yells were 'scalp yells' but they 
had not heard with sufiicient accuracy to decide whether they indicated 
scalps to be taken or given, but doubtless inferred the first. 

"Barges were sent across to receive, and an escort of military to ac- 
company them within our lines. The white flag which had been seen 
in the distance was borne by Red Bird. ■''■ ^^ * And now the ad- 
vance of Indians had reached half up the ascent of the bluff, on which 



ii6 THE FA MIL Y TREE OF 

was our encampment, and order being called, Car-a-mau-nee spoke, 
saying: 'They are here — like braves they have come in — treat them 
as braves — do not put them in irons,' * -'^ '=■ The military had been 
previously drawn out in line. The Menominee and Oneida Indians 
were in groups upon their haunches on our left flank. On the right was 
the band of music, a little in advance of the line. In front of the center, 
at about ten paces distant, were the murderers. On their right and left, 
were those who had accompanied them, forming a semi-circle; the mag- 
nificent Red Bird, and the miserable We-Kau, a little in advance of the 
center. All eyes were fixed upon Red Bird; and well they might be, 
for of all the Indians I ever saw he was, without exception, the most 
perfect in form, in face and gesture. In height he was about six feet, 
straight, but without restraint. His proportions were those of the most 
exact symmetry, and these embraced the entire man, from his head to 
his feet. His very fingers were models of beauty. I never beheld a face 
that was so full of all the ennobling and at the same time the most win- 
ning expression. It were impossible to combine with such a face the 
thought that he who wore it could be a murderer. It appeared to be a 
compound of grace and dignity, of firmness and decision, all tempered 
with mildness and mercy. During my attempted analysis of this face I 
could not but ask myself, 'Can this man be a murderer? Is he the 
same who shot, scalped and cut the throat of Gagnier ?' His head, too — 
sure, no head was ever so well formed. There was no ornamenting of 
the hair, after the Indian fashion; no clubbing it up in blocks and rollers 
of lead on bands of silver; no loose or straggling parts, but it was cut 
after the best fashion of the most civilized. His face was painted, one 
side red, the other intermixed with green and white. Around his neck 
he wore a collar of blue wampum, beautifully mixed with white, which 
was sewn on to a piece of cloth, the width of the wampum being about 
two inches, whilst the claws of the panther or wildcat, distant from each 
other about a quarter of an inch, with their points inward, formed the 
rim of the collar. Around his neck were hanging strands of wampum 
of various lengths, the circles enlarging as they descended. He was 
clothed in a Yankton dress — new and beautiful. The material was of 
dressed elk or deer skin, almost a pure white. It consisted ot a jacket, 
the sleeves being cut to fit his finely formed arm, and so as to leave out- 
side of the seam that ran from the shoulder, back of the arm and along 



COLUMBIA COUNTY 117 

over the elbow, about six inches of the material, one-half of which was 
cut into fringe; the same kind of fringe ornamenting the collar of the- 
jacket, its sides, bosom and termination, which was not circular, but cut 
into points, and which also ran down the seams of the leggins, these be- 
ing made of the same material. Blue beads were employed to vary and 
enrich the fringe of the leggins. On his feet he wore moccasins. 

"A piece of scarlet cloth about a quarter of a yard deep, and double 
that width, a slit being cut in its middle, so as to admit the passing 
through of his head, rested, one-half on his breast and beneath the 
necklace of wampum and claws, and the other on his back. On one 
shoulder and near his breast, was a beautifully ornamented feather, 
nearly white; and about opposite, on the other shoulder, was another 
feather, nearly black, near which were two pieces of thin shaven wood 
in the form of a compass, a little open, each about six inches long, 
richly wrapped around with porcupine's quills, dyed yellow, red and 
blue. On the tip of one shoulder was a tuft of horse hair, dyed red, 
and a little curled, mixed up with ornaments. Across the breast, in a 
diagonal position, and bound tight to it, was his war pipe, at least 
three feet long, brightly ornamented with dyed horse hair, the feathers 
and bills of birds. In one of his hands he held the white flag, and in 
the other the calumet, or pipe of peace. 

"There he stood — not a muscle moved, nor was the expression of his 
face changed a particle. He appeared to be conscious that, according to 
Indian law, and measuring the deed he had committed by the injustice 
and wrongs and cruelties of the white man, he had done no wrong. The 
light which had shown in upon his bosom from the law, which demanded 
an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth, so harmonized with his con- 
science as to secure its repose. 

' 'As to death, he had been taught to despise it, confiding in that Heav- 
en, that Spirit-land, where the game is always plenty, the forests always 
green, the waters always transparent, tranquil and pure, and where no 
€vil thing is permitted to enter. He was therefore prepared to receive 
the blow that should consign his body to the ground and send his spirit to 
that blissful region to mingle with his fathers who had gone before him. 
He and We-Kau were told to sit down. His motions, as he seated him- 
self, were no less graceful and captivating than when he stood or walked. 
At this moment the band struck up Pleyel's hymn. Everything was 



ii8 THE FAMILY TREE OF 

still. It was, indeed, a moment of intense interest to all. The Red Bird 
turned his eyes toward the band; the notes operated upon his feelings in 
such a way as to produce in his countenance a corresponding pensive- 
ness. The music having ceased, he took- up his pouch (which I forgot to 
say was a handsomely ornamented otter skin, that hung on his left side, ) 
and taking from it some kinnickinnic and tobacco, cut the latter in the 
palm of his hand, after the Indian fashion, then rubbing the two together 
filled the bowl of his calumet, struck fire into a bit of punk with his flint 
and steel, and lighted it and smoked. All the motions employed in this 
ceremony were no less harmonious and appropria<-e than had character- 
ized his other movements. He sat after the Turkish fashion with his legs 
crossed . 

"If you think there was anything of affection in all this, you are mis- 
taken. There was just the manner, and appearance, and look, you 
would expect to see in a nobly built man of the highest order of intel- 
ligence, and who had been taught all the graces of motion, and then 
escorted by his armies to a throne, where the diadem was to be placed, 
upon his head. ^'^ --^ ^ All sat except the speakers. The substance 
of what they said was: 

"We were required to bring in the murderers. They had no power 
over any, except two — the third had gone away, and these had volun- 
tarily agreed to come in and give themselves up. As their friends,, 
they had come with them. They hoped their white brothers would 
agree to accept the horses of which there were perhaps twenty, the 
meaning of which was, to take them in commutation for the livts of 
their two friends. They asked kind treatment for their friends, and 
earnestly besought that they might not be put in irons, and concluded 
by asking for a little tobacco and something to eat. They were 
answered, and told, in substance, that they had done well thus to come 
in. By having done so, they had turned away our guns, and saved 
their people. They were admonished against placing themselves in a 
like situation in the future; and advised, when they were aggrieved, not 
to resort to violence, but to go to their agent, who would inform their 
Great Father of their complaints, and he would redress their grievance 
that their friends should be treated kindly, and and tried by the same 
laws by which their Great Father's white children were tried; that for 
he present, Red Bird and We-Kau should not be put in irons; that they 



COLUMBIA COUNTY 119 

should all have something- to eat and tobacco to smoke. We advised 
them to warn their people against killing ours; and endeavored also to 
impress them with a proper notion of their own weakness, and the ex- 
tent of our power, etc. 

"Having heard this, the Red' Bird stood up, the commanding officer, 
Maj. Whistler, a few paces in front of the center of the line, facing him. 
After a moment's pause, and a quick survey of the troops, and with a 
composed observation of his people, he said, looking at Maj. Whistler: 

" 'I am ready.' Then advancing a step or two, he paused, saying: 
'I do not wish to be put in irons. Let me be free. I have given away 
my life — it is gone;' stooping and taking some dust between his finger 
and thumb, and blowing it away, 'like that,' eyeing the dust as it fell 
and vanished from his sight; then adding: 'I would not take it back. 
It is gone.' 

"Having thus spoken, he threw his hands behind him, to indicate 
that he was leaving all things behind him, and marched briskly up to 
Maj. Whistler, breast to breast. A platoon was wheeled backwards 
from the center of the line, when Maj. Whisder stepping aside, the Red 
Bird and We Kau marched through the line, in charge of a file of men, 
to a tent that had been provided for them in the rear. 

Col. Childs, in his "Recollections of Wisconsin," thus describes Red 
Bird as he saw him on the same occasion: "He was dressed in fine 
style, having on a suit made of neatly-dried buffalo skins perfectly 
white, and as soft as a kid glove; and on each shoulder, to supply the 
place of an epaulette, was fastened a preserved red bird. Hence the 
name of this noted chief, Red Bird." 

The prisoners were sent to Prairie du Chien for trial and were tried 
before Judge Doty and convicted, but sentence was deferred for some 
cause. While confined. Red Bird sickened and died, committed 
suicide, Mrs. Kinzie says, in Waubun, in consequence of chagrin, the 
ignominy of his confinement being more than his proud spirit could 
bear; he had expected death. Gen. Smith, who came to the territory 
at a very early period, and was entirely familiar with Indian character, 
speaking of the affair in his "History ot Wisconsin," states: 

"The delay of administering justice was to the Indian a matter not 
comprehended; they, scarcely in any instance, deny an act which they 
had committed, and do not understand why punishment should not be 



I20 THE FAMILY TREE OF 

immediately inflicted on the g^uilty. The imprisonment of the body is 
to them a most insufferable grievance, and they look upon the act as 
cowardice on the part of the whites, presuming that they dare not in- 
flict such punishment as the crime demands." 

Red Bird's accomplices in the murder were subsequently sentenced to 
be hung December 26, 182S, but before that date they were pardoned 
by President Adams, one of the implied conditions being that the In- 
dians should cede the lands the miners had already appropriated to 
their use to the government. Mrs. Gagnier was compensated for the 
loss of her husband and the mutilation of her infant. 

What more inspiring subject for the genius of the painter could be 
suggested than Red Bird's surrender thus described. The artist who 
places it on canvas will immortalize himself. 




u 



r *~ ^ 






y* 







A MISSIONARY'S TENT IN AN INDIAN VILLAGE 



COLUMBIA COUNTY 121 

CHAPTER XXII. 

THE FIRST CHURCH IN CENTRAL WISCONSIN. 

In September, 1832, Father S imuele Carlo Mazzuchelli, a Dominican 
missionary "among the various tribes of savages aud among Catholics 

and protestants in the 
United States" visited the 
Winnebagoes near the 
Wisconsin Portage, hav- 
ing been the first mission- 
ary since the days of 
AUouez, Dablon and Mar- 
quette, one hundred and 
fifty years before, to visit 
central Wisconsin. On 
this visit he held service 
on the prairie near the 
village of the De Kaury's 
south of the Wisconsin 
river. A bower was 
erected for the purpose 
which was decorated with 
vines, wild flowers and 
ftrns by the Indian maid- 
ens, and was largely at- 
tended by members of 
the tribe. He was unable 
to make himself under- 
stood until he fell in with 
Pierre Pauquette, the famous In iian trader at the portage, who rendered 
much assistance in preaching and confessions. 

Under his ministration there were many converts to the faith. 
Prompted by his teachings the noted fur trader, Pierre Pauquette, 
erected a small log church in 1S33-34, which stood in Adams street near 
its junction with Conant street. This was the first church built in Wis- 
consin between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River. Under it 
Pauquette, who had been slain by an Indian in 1836, was buried. The 




FATHER SAMUELE CARLO MAZZUCHELLI. 



THE FA MIL Y TREE OF 



church was destroyed by fire and Pauquette's remains were removed 
to a lot on the opposite side of the street, where they are supposed to 
remain. 

The influence of the mis- 
sionary's visit to the Win- 
nebagoes is noted by Mrs. 
Kinzie in her VVau Bun. 
She had offered a glass to 
one of the squaws which was 
declined with a finger point- 
ed at the crucifix which hung 
around her neck. "It gave 
me a lesson," she says, "of 
more power than twenty ser- 
mons. Never before had I 
seen a glass refused from a 
religious motive." 
Father Mazzuchelii subsequently established the Saint Clara Acad- 
emy at Sinsinawa Mound, in Grant county, which has become one of 
the most famous institutions of the kind in the state. 







THE PAUQUETTE CHURCH, PORTAGE 



CHAPTER XXIII. 



WHERE WAS ALLOUEZ MISSION OF ST. JAMES IN THE MASCOUTEN 
VILLAGE? 

[The spelling of the name of this tribe of Indians has. like all the others, 
undergone many changes since it was first written by the early visitors, each 
of them having his own peculiar method of rendering it. The spelling here 
given— Mascoutens— is that which has come into most general use. The 
meaning of the name has also been variously translated ; at first, as the "Fire 
Nation," bnt later as the "Prairie People." Charlevoix, a high authority, 
says the true name is "Mascoutenec," signifying an open country.] 

While it is known that Father Claude Jean AUouez, who is called the 
builder of Wisconsin's first Indian missions, established a mission on 
the upper Fox among the Mascoutens in 1673, the exact location of it 
has never been definitely ascertained. But few subjects relating to 
Wisconsin history have been discussed more than this and with le s 
satisfactory results. Some writers have attempted to give it a def ni e 



COLUMBIA COUNTY 123 

location, but none has been able to bring many people to his way of 
thinking. No different result is expected from the publication of my 
own conclusions. 

In writing upon the subject Hon. P. V. Lawson has contributed a 
most interesting paper which he introduced with the following para- 
graph : 

The location of this village, one of the landmarks in the field work 
of our history; has always excited interest among those who love the 
tales of long ago, as it has been associated with the names of nearly 
all of that daring and courageous band of missionaries and explorers 
who grace our early annals. As the chroniclers of old had no surveys 
or maps, but passed these streams in their virgin glory, it is not sur- 
prising that their descriptions are indefinite. When we find the 
place where the Mascouteus had their village and palisaded fort, we 
stand surely upon ground over which stalked the knightly LaSalle, 
and dreamily moved the good friar flennepin: where AUouez ate at 
the savage board and Dablon enjoyed their hospitality; where the 
mercenary soldiers of Louis XIV. and the Iroquois burned the last 
savage village and destroyed the last savage garden on the river, and 
the one-armed Tonti rested in his long search for his chevalier; and 
Joliet bore the flaming banner of France. Sham glory and knightly 
chivalry have passed across the few acres which encompass that sim- 
ple village home of old on the far frontier of Nouville France. 



Father D.iblon had visited a village of the Mascoutens on the 30th 
of April, 1670, having entered the Fox on the 29th, according to the 
publi.ihed journal. Father AUouez had established the mission of St. 
James at a village of the Mascoutens in May, 1672. Pere Marquette 
and Sieur Joliet visited a mission established by AUouez, in June, 1673, 
among the Mascoutens, which was described by Marquette as having 
been three leagues, ''trois lieus,'" from the "portage" between the 
Fox and Wisconsin rivers. 

A point three leagues from the portage would have been nearly one 
hundred miles from the junction of the Fox with the Wolf River, al- 
though but about 90 miles at the present time, the channel having been 
shortened by cutting off numerous bends in the Fox in improving the 
navigation of the river. Mr. C. \V. Butterfield, a historian of note, ad- 
vanced the idea that it would have been quite impossible for Dablon to 
have ascended the Fox River to within three leagues of the portage 
during the 29th and 30th of April, and so he reached the abrupt con- 
clusion that AUouez' Mission was where the village of Marquette now 
stands. To have said it was "quite impossible to reach a point three 
leagues from the portage, is putting it too strong, I must think. la 



124 THE FAMILY TREE OF 

view of Marquette's statement I think tlie more apt expression would 
have been ''very probable." Mr. Butterfield's conclusions have been 
quite generally accepted by historians who have followed him; by some 
of them upon slight investigation and by others upon none at all, 

Judge Gary in his "Studies of the Early History of the Fox River 
Valley" gave the mission a definite location in section thirty two, town 
eighteen, range fourteen, in Rushford, Winnebago County, but has 
quite generally failed to satisfy other investigators, I think, of the cor- 
rectness of his views; Secretary Thwaites of the State Historical society, 
places it farther up the river between Berlin and Princeton; Hon. P. V. 
Lawson thinks it was above Princeton in the peninsula made by the 
Great Bend in the Upper Fox River in the town of Princeton; Moses 
M. Strong placed it at the head of Buffalo Lake; Father \'erwyst, at 
about three miles east of Corning Station; Father LaBoule, at Ste. 
Marie; Father Holtzknecht, at Marquette; while Rev. Thomas Clithero, 
who has given much consideration to the subject, is firm in his convic- 
tion that it was near Governor's Bend in the town of Fort Winnebago 
on the west bank of Fox River* on section sixteen, town twelve, range 
nine, three French leagues from the portage, as Marquette had written, 
all of them, except Mr. Clithero, agreeing that there must have been an 
error in Marquette's journal in writing "three leagues" and that he 
must have meant "thirty leagues" or "three days," and, satisfied on 
that point, each one has found a different location for "St. James" far- 
ther down the river than three leagues from the "portage" according 
to his individual views. They argue that from two to three miles an 
hour would be an average canoe journey. This is not an unreasonable 
estimate for a journey made for pleasure or one not requiring expedition. 
But Dablon was not out on a picnic excursion when he started for the 
Mascoutens, neither was he paddling his own canoe. While we have 
no exact data as to the time he entered the Foxf or when he reached 
Mascouten, something must be left to reasonable presumption, but no 



*My own opinion is that the elevation on the east bank of the river answers 
the description more completely than that on the west bank. 

fThe thought suggests itself that Father Dablon may have written "27th" 
as the day he entered the Fox, instead of the "29th," in which case no con- 
troversy could have arisen as to the time when he reached the Mascouten 
village. Every proof reader knows that no error on the part of compositors 
and copyists is so frequent as is the mistaken of a figure "7" for a "9." 



COLUMBIA COUNTY 125 

theory should be resorted to, or conclusion jumped at, that is not in 
the line of entire probability- 

On this basis we may fairly assume that Dablon's visit to the ]\Ias- 
coutens was an important one, and the journey to it was to be m.^de as 
expeditiously as possible. Taking to his service a crew of Indians, 
very likely of four or more, with a light birch bark canoe, he doubtless 
impressed his craftsmen with the necessity of rapid work to reach the 
objective point, if it was necessary to reach it on the following day. 

So the problem resolves itself into the simple proposition: Could a 
light birch bark canoe be propelled by a crew of Indians one hundred 
miles inside of thirty-six hours? That satisfactorily answered, a con- 
clusion can easily be reached. If it was impossible to do it that ends 
the contention on that point, and the authenticity of Marquette's jour- 
nal must rest on the theory that AUouez' Mission was not located in the 
Mascouten village visited by Dablon in 1670. But if the 100 miles 
could be made inside of thirty-six hours, there will be no necessity for 
looking for other evidence to sustain the reliability of his journal and 
there should be no further attempt to discredit it. 

I have made much inquiry of rivermen accustomed to the use of both 
paddles and oars and have propounded to them this question: What 
time could be made with a light birch bark canoe, paddled up the Fox 
by a crew of four Indians, if they had been duly impressed with the 
necessity of "getting there" as expeditiously as possible? The answer 
has uniformally been, four miles easily, five miles without difficulty, and 
six miles if all conditions, wind, etc. , were favorable. * 

Bishop Jackson Kemper writing many years ago of a visit to Green 

*Corrobatory of this evidence of the distance that could have been made by 
the canoe men we have this statement which we find in Shea's Discovery 
and Exploration of the Mississippi, page 8. "The Canadian canoe made use 
of in this expedition (Marquette's) was built of birch bark, cedar splints and 
ribs of spruce roots, covered with yellow pitch pine so light and so strong 
that they could be carried across portages on the shoulders of four men and 
paddled at the rate of four miles per hour in smooth water." Capt. Thomas 
G. Anderson, whose name figures conspicuously in connection with the 
British capture of Prairie du Chien, in his "Personal Narrative" has also 
told us something of canoe voyaging: "Away we started for the Portage 
and Ouisconsin. On this portage I first became acquainted with rattle- 
snakes, and from all I had heard I was not desirous of getting used to them. 
Eighteen hours travel [118 miles] brought us to Prairie du Chien on the 
Mississippi." This was down stream, it is true, but it is not probable that 
the current would have aided his progress much more than three or four 
hours. 



126 THE FAMILY TREE OF 

Bay recorded what he saw and learned ot the habits of the voyageurs in 
early times. I quote from his journal as given in \'olume XIV of the 
Wisconsin Historical Collections: "A Conversation Concerning Voy- 
ageurs. They go loo miles in 24 hours and paddle 22 hours. When 
they stop the man who is carried cooks, that is, boils the Indian corn 
with tallow while the men sleep." 

An Indian's hour for his purpose is any hour; daylight and moon- 
light are all the same to him. Regarding the black robed priest with a 
superstitious awe and reverence, his wishes would have been executed 
by him in the fullest degree; his powers of endurance are phenomena'; 
hours for refreshment were not frequent; the cuisine was simple, the 
menu was not a long one and "courses" were not numerous. A sim- 
ple tightening of the belt answered if the jerked meat was deficient. 
The days were not unduly warm and the nights were not unreasonably 
cool; betimes at midnight, he may have lain in the shadow of a shelter- 
ing tree and plied his paddle vigorously by the silver light of the moon 
and landed Pere Dablon at the Mascouten village before the disappear- 
ance of the sun the day after leaving Buttes des Morts. If Pere Dab- 
lon had said, "get there tomorrow," Lo would have got there or broke 
a paddle. Think you he would not ? He would. 

A map in the Relations of 1670-71, places it very near the portage. 
Marquette has informed us in his journal that he "knew" that there 
was, three leagues from Mascoutens, a river emptying into the Missis- 
sippi. Dablon, in describing the village, says that after landing his 
boat and walking a short league, he came to the village, ' 'the view from 
which is beautiful and very picturesque from the eminence on which it 
perched." Marquette makes no mention of walking overland to reach 
the village, but simply says, "Here we are then, at Mascoutens," leav- 
ing the impression that he found it immediately on the banks of the 
river. The village itself was situated on "a little rising ground." The 
suggestion that the village visited by Dablon and Marquette may not 
have been the same, is thrown out as a probability, but its acceptance 
is not at all necessary to sustain the accuracy of Marquette's journal. 

Allouez' work among the Wisconsin tribes is described in his report 
to his superior. In May 1672, he goes to the Mascouten village on 
the upper Fox river. Here he finds nearly two hundred cabins of 
savages (indicating a population of about 1200.) — (See Hist. Collec- 
tions, Vol. XVI, page 87, Canadian Archives. 



COLUMBIA COUNTY 127 

In the following year the statement is made, in the same volume 
(page 94), that the Mascouten village has been increased by refugees 
from many tribes to a population of 20,000 souls. It is difficult to ac- 
count for this unexampled expansion. The thought forces itself that 
the village first visited by Dablon, April 30, 1670, was but one of sev- 
eral villages of the tribe, the principal one being three leagues from the 
portage where Allouez established his mission, the augmentation being 
of the Kickapoos, Miamis and Weas, who had at some time become 
affiliated with the Mascoutens, but a population of 20,000 oi these allied 
tribes must, I think, be regarded as excessive, or at least, may have 
embraced the population of the entire thirty villages of the nation, 
wherever located. 

I cannot undertake to say that it never was the custom for a tribe or 
nation to have all of its families at a single point, but certainly some of 
them did not. The relations of 1658 have informed us that the Mascou- 
tens had thirty villages. It is known to all in this vicinity that the 
Winnebagoes had many villages. Mrs. Kinzie, in writing of the In- 
dian payment at Winnebago Portage in 1S28 says, "There were two di- 
visions of the Winnebago Indians ^ * * The principal villages of 
this division of the tribe were at Lake Winnebago, (several of them), 
Green and Fox Lakes, the Barribault, Mud Lake, (at Corning Station, 
Butterfield says in Dodge County), the Four Lakes (Madison), Koshko- 
nong and Turtle Creek (Beloit). "The other division was over on the 
Mississippi, Red Bird's village being north of La Crosse in Tremp- 
ealeau County. 

So it seems to me the most reasonable theory is .that the Mascoutens 
village first visited by Dablon in 1670 was but one of the smaller out- 
lying ones and that the main village where Allouez established a mission 
two years later, which was visited by Marquette in 1673, was where he 
located it, three leagues from the portage. 

If we may conclude then that such was the fact, we find there every 
condition referred to by Marquette. He says, "As we approached the 
Mashkoutons, the Fire Nation, I had the curiosity to drink the mineral 
waters of the river which is not far from this town." Turning aside 
from his ascent of the Fox he would, by running up the Neenah Creek, 
a little more than half a mile, come to a famous spring on section eight, 
near Corning Station. Continuing his narrative Marquette wrote, "I 



128 THE FAMILY TREE OF 

also took time to examine an herb, the virtue of which an Indian who 
possessed the secret had, with many ceremonies, made known to Father 
Alloues. Its root is useful against the bite of serpents, the Almighty- 
having been pleased to give this remedy against a poison very common 
in this country. -^- -> * I put some into my canoe to examine it at 
leisure while we went on our way toward Maskoutons where we arrived 
on the 7th of June. Here we are then at Maskoutons." 

The most famous spring in the Fox River valley, of which I have any 
knowledge — for I assume that the "mineral waters of the river" of 
which Marquette speaks, are those of a sprmg or a rivulet discharged 
from a spring — is that above alluded to, near Corning Station. As it 
flows across the morass a few rods to discharge into the Neenah the 
medical herb, Gillia7ia Trifoliata, or Indian Snake Root, Marquette 
refers to as an antedote for the snake bite, will be found in abundance. 

It would seem that evey traveler, who crossed the portage in early 
times, did so with an awe ot the serpent, for I have never read one of 
their accounts in which the numerous serpeyis a sonnettes they saw 
were not abundantly referred to, although I believe none of them ever 
recorded any unhappy experiences with them beyond their disagreeable 
presence. At all events Marquette provided himself with the herb, as 
most fishermen do with something when they go into dangerous places 
inhabited by the tenants of the pool. So, fortified with herbs, Marquette 
returned to his canoe and proceeded on his way to the village "not far 
away." Reaching it he exclaims "Here we are then, at Maskoutons." 
There is no mention made of having to walk "a short league" to reach 
it, as Dablon had, so one would conclude that it was situated on the 
immediate banks ot the river. 

The fact is not to be over looked that the village may have been on 
the Neenah instead of the Fox, for many of the earliest maps show the 
Neenah as a portion of the Fox, and the latter river from the junction of 
the two streams was considered as an affluent of the Fox, instead of a 
portion of it. 

So, while unreservedly admitting that the opinions formed by such 
eminent authorities as Secretary Thwaites, of the Wisconsin State His- 
torical Society, Consul W. Butterfield, who stands deservedly high 
as a historian, and Hon. P. V. Lawson, who has given the subject 
great attention, are entitled to the highest consideration, I find myself 



COLUMBIA COUNTY 129 

unable to accept either their "impossible" theory or an "error" in 
Marquette's journal, the general accuracy of which I believe to be fully 
sustained; and I also believe that if these historians should enter 
upon a more thorough investigation of the subject at the present time 
they would find abundant grounds for reversing the opinions previously 
entertained. 

A simple reference will show on what a slimsy basis is built the 
theory held by some that Marquette could not have meant "three 
leagues" from the portage. Judge Gary, in his valuable work already 
alluded to, after quoting these words from Marquette, "The way is so 
cut up by marshes and little lakes that it is easy to go astray, etc.," 
comments, thus "Three leagues would be between seven and eight 
miles from the portage in which there may have been marshes but 
no lakes.'" By "little lakes" Marquette undoubtedly meant the 
bayous, lagoons, ponds and expansion of the river. The expansion of 
the river or pond, just above its junction with the Neenah, was always 
known in this section as far back as it was known at all, as "Mud Lake" 
and on its banks was a Winnebago village. "Little lakes" may not 
have been the very best term to describe these ponds, etc., but they 
were either that, or nothing else than "river." Mr. Lawson has fol- 
lowed Judge Gary's error in his misunderstanding. 

Another curious paragraph, by no less an authority than Justin 
Winsor, appears in his description of the portage between the Fox and 
Wisconsin rivers. He says, "the carry (portage) they found an easy 
one, through a level region, and somewhat less than two miles acrosS' 
through marshes and ponds filled with wild rice.'^ A level plain, or 
marsh, if that term is preferable, there was, but where the "ponds and 
wild rice" were, is unknown. 

These may be regarded as errors of trivial importance, but they are 
quite as substantial as the other theories advanced so strenuously to 
discredit Marquette's statement. 



If the opinion here expressed should come to be accepted as correct. 

a great deal of what has passed for "history," as affecting this locality, 

will have to be re-written, especially that part of it of Mr. Butterfield's 

wherein he asserts, as one speaking with the crown of infallibility 

"Nicolet was never in Columbia County." I cannot conceive how he, 
9 



I30 



THE FA MIL Y TREE OF 



Nicolet, should have failed to reach the Wisconsin River, as his mission 
to this Northwest was to gather all the information he could, for the 
French Government, concerning its rivers leading to the seas. 

The Wisconsin and Mississippi rivers were as well known to the Mas- 
coutens, with whom he was sojourning at that time, as they are to the 
Winnebagoes of today, and they must have informed him of the nearness 
of the Wisconsin. While no positive statement can be made that he did 
not reach the Wisconsin, as early writers have stated he did, there is 
vastly more evidence to show that Nicolet stood upon its banks in 
Portage, where Marquette and Joliet did twenty-nine years later, than 
there is for Mr. Butterfield's positive statement that he did not. 

[Since the above was written a sundial un- 
earthed on the west bank of the Fox river 
where Rev. Thomas Clithero believes the 
Mascouten village was located, bearing the 
date "1606" has been brought to my notice. 
It was dug up in September, 1903, by Mr. 
James Kirwin of Portage, while digging for 
bait. It is quite similar to the one found 
near Green Bay in 1902, a cut of which ap- 
pears in the XVIth volume of the Wisconsin 

Historical Collections, and which Secretary Thwaites says "may have 

belonged to some fur trader or missionary.] 





COLUMBIA COUNTY 131 

CHAPTER XXIV. 

JEAN NICOLET IN COLUMBIA COUNTY. 

In the preceding chapter the location of Allouez' Mission of St. 
James, in the Mascouten village, has been discussed at some length. 
It was at this village that Jean Nicolet spent several months in 1634, 
having been sent to the northwest by Champlain, governor of New 
France, to learn what he could of the then wholly unknown region lying 
to the west of the great lakes, concerning which vague reports, brought 
by the Indians, were being heard at Quebec. The purpose of the 
French government to exercise dominion over all the country west of 
the lakes, was already being made manifest. Nicolet returned to Quebec 
the following year, as is supposed, but he had kept no journal of what 
he saw or learned, and made no written report to Champlain of the re- 
sults of his expedition, as far as known; so how far he went beyond the 
Mascouten village is a matter of conjecture only, but it is incredible 
that he should have stopped there, and learned nothing of the country 
lying beyond, which was so inviting a field for an explorer. His great 
reputation as a thorough explorer negatives any such idea. 

The only thing that throws any light upon what he did is what Vi- 
mont, in the Jesuit Relations of 1640, has related in a most incomplete 
and indefinite manner, what Nicolet had said to him concerning the 
country which he had visited. Says Vimont: "The Sieur Nicolet, 
who had penetrated the farthest into these remote countries, assured 
me that if he had sailed three days further [where from ?] upon a large 
river which issues from this lake [what lake ?] he would have reached 
the sea." This led some of the early historians to the belief that Nic- 
olet had reached the Mississippi and descended it to within a three 
days sail of the sea. Mr. C. W. Butterfield, however, as well as other 
historians, reached the conclusion that the word "sea," as thus used, 
meant a "river." He then concluded that the "large river" referred to 
by Nicolet, was the Fox, and the "sea" was the Mississippi river. He 
also concludes, without any reason therefor, as I must think, thr^t Nico- 
let never ascended the Fox any further than the Mascouten village, 
which he locates definitely, in his own mind, in Green Lake County, 
"thirty leagues from the portage," preferring to consider that there was 
a clerical error in Marquette's journal in which he located the village he 



132 



THE FAMIL Y TREE OF 



had visited at "three leagues from the portage." There is small war- 
rant for concluding there was such afi error, but if there was and the 
Mascouten village was, in fact, in Green Lake County, there is not a 
particle of evidence to show that Nicolet meant the Fox river, when he 
used the words ascribed to him by Vimont, "If he had sailed three 
davs further upon a large river '^- '^^ * he would have reached the 
sea," nor that he regarded the Mississippi river, as the "sea." The least 
reflection precludes such an interpretation of Nicolet' s language, if he 
used it at all. That Father Vimont did not fully quote Sieur Nicolet' s 
language in the words he ascribes to him is quite apparent, and leaves 
much as to what was said to conjecture, as unsatisfactory as it may be. 
So Mr. Butterfield, in conjecturing, makes the words of Nicolet quoted, 
harmonize with his own theory, as to some other controverted points, 
in this manner: "The language of Vimont, as now interpreted [by Mr. 
B.,] is equivalent to this: "The Sieur Nicolet, who has penetrated the 
farthest into the upper lake regions assured me [Vimont] that if he had 
paddled his birch bark canoe three days further up the Fox river [the 
words were "upon a large river"] which flows into Green Bay, he would 
have reached the Wisconsin river. Nicolet then, did not visit the valley 
of the Mississippi — he did not re-discover it. This honor belongs to 
another. He was not in Columbia County in 1634, nor at any other 
time." Mr. Butterfield's reconstruction of Vimont's language falls short, 
in no particular, of absolute absurdity. A much more rational render- 
ing of it would, in my opinion, read like this: The Sieur Nicolet, who 
had penetrated the furthest west into these remote countries, assured me 
that if he had sailed three days further upon a large river [the Wiscon- 
sin] which issues from a lake [Lac Vieux Desert] he would have reached 
the Mississippi flowing to the sea." This rendering may not be ac- 
cepted, but it avoids the necessity of considering the Fox as a "large 
river" and the Mississippi as the "sea" — and also of explaining that 
Vimont meant to say "flowing out of Green Bay" instead of "into it," 
and gives Nicolet's language a rational interpretation, at least. 

Neither would it be necessary to express surprise at the absence of 
any account whatever of what Nicolet did after visiting central Wiscon- 
sin, He had looked upon the waters that flow to the sea, and had 
gained all the information from the Indians he desired concerning them, 
when he stood upon the banks of the Wisconsin river, at the portage; 



COLUMBIA COUNTY 133 

so he returned to Quebec to render an account of his stewardship, 
in person, to Champlain, who had sent him on the expedition. 

If those who contend that Nicolet did, in fact, reach the Mississippi 
and descend it to within three days of the sea (and it is not at all certain 
that he did not), it is morally certain that he did not depart from the 
Mascouten village, wherever located, to make an overland trip to some 
point on the Mississippi, when a much easier trip by water, was at hand, 
which would have taken him through Columbia County. But, even if 
he did make an overland journey, the trail from the Mascouten village 
would have taken him through Columbia County, for a well defined 
Indian trail on the west bank of the Fox river to the Four Lakes region, 
had been known to exist for more than a century, and it has not been 
wholly obliterated to this day, I am assured, by those who knew it well 
half a century ago. 

So, with all respect to Mr. Butterfield, whose ability as a historian is 
justly acknowledged by all, I conclude that Nicolet had stood upon 
the banks of the Wisconsin river, at the terminus of the portage, in 
1634, and was the first white man to visit Columbia County, and we 
honor him accordingly. 

JEA^ NICOLET. 

First of our race who came to greet 
Wisconsin, "where the waters meet" ; 
Who heard old Michigan's loud roar, 
That like a sea -god guards our shore. 
And the wind-harp's wild minstrelsy 
Of far Superior's great sea. 
Among the rapids and the rocks. 
Then up the windings of the Fox, 
This son of venture and free lance. 
Carried the fleur-de-lis of France ; 
His eye the first of all the race. 
To see our fair Wisconsin's face. 
All honor to this fearless knight. 
Who hated wrong and loved the right, 
WTio sei-\ed his king and country's cause. 
But high above them placed God's laws ; 
And evermore thus set his seal 
On our Wisconsin's future weal, 
others who came in after days. 
Have had their ample meed of praise ; 
I sing to him who blazed the way, 
Brave son of France — Jean Nicolet. 

—LOUISE PHILLIPS. 



134 ^^^ FAMILY TREE OF 

CHAPTER XXV. 

Wisconsin's war governor, james t. lewis. 

In the quiet of his old '"colonial" home, picturesque in its environs, 
and hallowed by many sacred memories, Wisconsin's venerable War 
Governor still lives, nearing his eighty- fifth year, enjoying the repose 
earned by a long and honorable life, tenderly cared for by loved and 
loving children, amid troops of friends, serenely but bravely awaiting 
"the inevitable hour." 

James Taylor Lewis, the subject of this sketch, a native of Claren- 
don, Orleans County, New York, was born October 30, 1819. From 
the union of Shubael Lewis and Eleanor Robertson, seven children were 
born, and of these James was the third child and third son. His pa- 
ternal grandfather, Samuel Lewis, was a native of New England and 
hved for a time at Brimfield, Mass. This branch of the family is of 
English lineage, with probably a slight admi.xture of Welsh. From the 
maternal side he received a strong infusion of Scotch blood — a blood 
prepotent to a high degree in its assimilation with others with which it 
commingles. 

There is, however, little authentic history touching the first migration 
of the family from the old world. At all events the record is so hidden 
in the far past that for present purposes the Lewis family may rightly 
be considered as: 

"Native here. 
And to the manner born." 

The Lewises about whom we are immediately concerned, were first 
known in the New York village already mentioned. The family mu.st 
have been fairly well-to-do, for we learn that James had completed the 
English and classic courses at Clarkson College and Clinton Semi- 
nary, New York, and was prepared for admission to the bar before he 
had attained his twenty-sixth year. 

As early as the year 1845, anticipating by many years the wisdom 
and importance of Horace Greeley's advice to young men about going 
west, he removed to Wisconsin and opened a law office in Columbus, 
where for nearly sixty years he has since resided. The following year 
he returned to his old home and was married to Miss Orlina M. Sturges, 
the beautiful and cultured daughter of a prominent merchant and es- 



COLUMBIA COUNTY 135 

teemed citizen of Clarendon. From this marriage four children were 
born, Henry S., the eldest, who died in infancy; Selden J,, so named 
for his father's early friend and benefactor, the eminent Judge Selden, 
and sometime governor of Ne^v York; Charles R., named for the 




^^ 




<ON. JAMES T. LEWI! 



late Hon. Charles D. Robinson of Green Bay, an esteemed friend of 
the family in pioneer days in Wisconsin, and Mrs. Anna L. Dudley, the 



136 THE FAMILY TREE OF 

accomplished wife of Mr. Frank Dudley, long a highly trusted official of 
the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway company in Chicago. 
The elder son, Selden, is a prominent lawyer and much respected citizen 
of Vermillion, South Dakota; Charles R., the younger son, has for many 
years held important and responsible official positions with the St. Paul 
railway in Minneapolis. 

Declining tempting inducements to open a law office in a neighboring 
town near his old home in New York, young Lewis, with his bride, re- 
moved in July, 1S46, to Columbus, as already stated, where he has since 
resided. This singularly happy union was severed, however, by the 
death of Mrs. Lewis, in the year 1903, who died profoundly mourned 
by all who had known her in life, and their name was legion. 

Upon his arrival in the territory, Mr. Lewis, at once, began the prac- 
tice of law in the inferior and nisi prius courts and was early admitted 
to the bar of the supreme court. While Wisconsin was still a territory, 
he was chosen probate or county judge, and a few years later was elected 
district attorney for Columbia County. Our young attorney's law prac- 
tice was early interrupted by calls to the public service and the allure- 
ments and fascinations offered by business inducements in a new country. 
In 1848 he was chosen a member of the second constitutional conven- • 
tion and is probably the last living signer of that organic act. He was 
less than thirty years of age when he sat as a member of this convention. 
In 1852 he was elected a member of the lower house of the State Legis- 
lature and the following year was chosen a state senator. As a legisla- 
tor he took an active and prominent part, having a place on many im- 
portant committees. It was during the session of 1853 that the senate 
sat as a court of impeachment upon the trial of Levi Hubbell, judge of 
the second judicial circuit. The trial attracted universal interest because 
of the prominence of the defendant and the eminence of the attorneys 
engaged on either side. Judge Hubbell was acquitted after a prolonged 
trial, Senator Lewis voting for. acquittal. 

In 1854 Senator Lewis was elected Lieutenant Governor and as such 
it became incumbent upon him to preside over the senate of which he 
had so recently been a member. As presiding officer of the body he 
was specially distinguished for fairness, impartiality and uniform cour- 
tesy. His term as Lieutenant Governor ended, he resumed his private 
business at Columbus, which he continued uninterrupted till the outbreak 



COLUMBIA COUNTY 137 

of the civil war. Hitherto he had been a consistent and steadfast dem- 
ocrat of the Silas Wright school, but at the opening of hostilities, he 
soon became restive under party restraints and early repudiated what 
he conceived to be a lack of frankness and unquestioned loyalty on the 
part of the dominant leaders of the democratic party. Indignantly de- 
claring that "he who is not a faithful friend of the government of his 
country, in this trying hour, is no friend of mine," he at once threw 
the weight of his name and influence in support of the war, holding 
that partisanship should abate in such a fearful emergency. It was the 
course of thousands! 

In the autumn of 1861, he was nominated and elected Secretary of 
State, on the so-called Union Republican ticket, and at the following 
election, 1863, was chosen governor by the same party, with the largest 
majority ever given in the state to that time, and for many years there- 
after. 

Since his retirement from the executive office, January, 1866, Gov- 
ernor Lewis has devoted his attention to private business, the education 
of his children, the up-building of his home city and the promotion of 
educational and church enterprises. He has also traveled extensively 
abroad and throughout the United States. A few years ago he made 
a tour of the world, visiting all parts of the Orient and Europe. Since 
quitting the governorship he has never sought, but has often declined, 
public office, but, meanwhile, he has maintained a keen interest in public 
affairs, abating nothing within reason that would promote the success 
of the Republican party to which organization he has persistently ad- 
hered since the great war between the states. 

His life-span has covered the most wonderful period in the annals of 
the world and is almost co-extensive with that of the Republic itself. 
Governor Lewis was born in the same year with Victoria, and during 
the first term of President Monroe. At his birth, Washington had been 
in his grave scarcely twenty years. He has lived under the rule of twenty- 
two presidents and enjoyed a personal acquaintance with most of them. 
He was seven years old when Adams and Jefferson died. In his youth 
he knew many of the heroes of the Revolution and must have known 
some of the signers of the Declaration of Independence as the youth of 
today know him or as they know the surviving leaders of the Civil War. 
He was helping on the Constitution of Wisconsin when the younger 



138 THE FAMILY TREE OF 

Adams fell stricken upon the floor of the old House of Representatives, 
and was thirty-three when Clay and Webster died. Far within his life- 
time Wisconsin has grown from a wilderness to an empire of more than 
two and a half million souls. In the work of her upbuilding, Governor 
Lewis contributed much; few more, and fewer still, who have more fully 
earned the repose he is now enjoying as he serenely contemplates the 
past and hopefully faces the future. 

Governor Lewis, in his best days, laid no claim to great oratorical 
gifts, but, as Jeremy Taylor once said of another, he had always "the 
endearment of prudent and temperate speech," and as Lamartine said 
of Mirabeau, "his genius was the infallibility of good sense." However, 
the Governor possessed the power of strong and fluent speech and of 
succinct and cogent statement far beyond the average of men in public 
life. 

It is the hope of his friends that he may yet live on for several years 
with no further impairment of his powers. Whether this hope is to be 
realized or not, all rejoice that he is passing to the close, spared the fate 
of so many public men of going to the grave full of grief and disap- 
pointment. Such was the fate of Seward and of Greeley; more cer- 
tainly was it true of Blaine, the greatest partisan leader since Andrew 
Jackson, and yet he died, if not without a party, full of resentment 
towards that he had so long led. During his last days, it is said of 
Sumner that he passed to his seat in the Senate as to a solitude. While 
dying, an open book was found upon his table with this passage marked 
by his own hand: 

"Would I were dead ! if God's good will were so ; 
"For what is in this world, but care and woe." 

This list of statesmen, dying heartbroken and disappointed, could be 
extended almost indefinitely, but the subject of the foregoing sketch has 
no place on it. His life has been one iuU of hope and not of despair. 
Whether his remaining days be few or many, his name will long abide 
a cherished memory with the people he served so well. 



COLUMBIA COUNTY 139 

CHAPTER XXVI. 

MRS. CH.^RLOTTE OUISCONSIN VAN CLEVE. 

As the concluding chapter of this volume, devoted to matters per- 
taining to Columbia county, it has been deemed appropriate to give 
place to a brief sketch of Mrs. Charlotte Ouisconsin Van Cleve, 
whose eves first saw light in Wisconsin, and who is still living, and is 
regarded as the first white child born within the territory now compris- 
ing Wisconsm, 

Neither is the priority of her birth to be limited to Wisconsin, for it in- 
cludes the states of Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming 
and Minnesota as well, with the single exception of a child born to the 
famous explorer, Alexander Henry in Minnesota, whose birth antedates 
that of Mrs. Van Cleve. There may have been, probably were, children 
of French parentage, unmixed with other blood, born in that vast terri- 
tory prior to Mrs. Van Cleve, but if so their names are unknown. That 
there were white children born here whose blood was modified with that 
of the aborigines, prior to Mrs. Van Cleve, is of course well known. 

In the latter part of June, 18 19, a battalion of the Fifth Regt., U. S. 
A., passed over the portage, en route to the upper Mississippi, to erect 
a military post at Fort Snelling. With the troops was lieutenant, after- 
ward major, Nathan Clark, who was accompanied by his wile. 
Scarcely an hour after reaching Fort Crawford at Prairie du Chien, 
Wis., a daughter was born to them, July ist, who received the name 
"Charlotte." The officers at the fort welcomed the new comer and, 
determined to be represented in the affair in some manner, bestowed 
upon her the additional name of "Ouisconsin." The little miss, from 
that time forward, became, as the troops moved along, the "daughter 
of the regiment." Miss Charlotte Ouisconsin Clark, in after years at 
Fort Winnebago, Wis., became the wife of Lieutenant Horatio P. Van 
Cleve, the distinguished general of that name, who gained honorable 
distinction in the civil war. So the people of the city ol Portage cherish 
the fondest recollections of this remarkable woman, who spent some ot 
her girlhood years here, and was married in the old fort, and narrowly 
missed being born here. 

That Mrs. Van Cleve should have been born in Wisconsin, and mar- 
ried at Fort Winnebago, is not a remarkable circumstance, considered 



140 



THE FAMILY TREE OF 



by itself, but when we are told that she was the first person of pure 
Anglo Saxon blood born in Wisconsin, and that she is still living, spend- 
ing the evening of her years with a son at Minneapolis, the tale is almost 
regarded as a product of one's imagination and is difficult of belief But 




MRS. CHARLOTTE OUISCONSIN VAN CLEVE. 

such must be accepted as an established fact. Think of it, ye millions 
of dwellers of Wisconsin in this year of our Lord, 1904, and marvel over 
the wondrous changes that hath been wrought during the eventful life 
of this woman. 



COLUMBIA COUNTY 141 

In 1897 Mrs. Van Cleve, on invitation from the ladies of Portage, was 
pleased to return to the scenes of her girlhood and view the site of the 
old fort, then demolished, where she had spent some of the years of her 
early life. During her stay in the city she was the recipient of all the 
social attention that could be bestowed by the community, who felt hon- 
ored by her presence, and Governor Scofield wired his compliments to 
her. One of the features of her visit was a drive to the old fort, or 
what remained of it. The G. A. R. furnished an escort for the occa- 
sion and a large number of ladies and gentlemen participated. Arriv- 
ing at the fort grounds she asked that the location of her father's quar- 
ters, where he had died and she had been married, be pointed out to 
her. Then she requested to have the spot pointed out to her where 
the flagstaff had stood. The spot having been accurately located, she 
placed herself on it and gave those present a most entertaining recital 
of events that occurred there, where she first met the lieutenant who 
stole her young heart away and made her his willing captive for life. 

Mrs. Van Cleve' s life has been devoted to good works. She has 
been a teacher, author and philanthropist and her beneficent deeds 
have been a blessing to every community where her lot has been cast, 
whether domiciled among the aborigines on their reservations in Min- 
nesota, or among the more favored people of Minneapolis. During her 
life time she has known intimately many of the most eminent men and 
women of the nation, and there are but few living now who can tell, 
from a personal acquaintance, so many pleasurable anecdotes of them 
as Mrs, Van Cleve. She has left among other products of her pen a 
small volume entitled "Three Score Years and Ten." In it she has re- 
corded the arrival ot the family at Fort Winnebago, the journey having 
been made overland from Fort Crawford: "Kind friends met us with a 
hearty welcome at our journey's end," she wrote, "where for a few 
years we had a very happy home. The memory of the weekly musicals 
at John Kinzie's pleasant agency, and the delightful rides on horseback 
over the portage to the point where Portage City now stands, quickens 
my heart beats even now." 



Treasuring a recollection of her last visit here the ladies of Wau-Bun 
Chapter, D. A. R. , annually, on the recurrence of her birthday, send 
their felicitations to this venerated lady who so illustrates in her own 
person, by precept and example, every ennobling impulse of life, 

The correspondence between the D, A. R. and Mrs. Van Cleve the 



142 THE FAMIL Y TREE OF 

present year, we are permitted to incorporate in this chapter, and it 
will close this brief, but all too inadequate sketch of "Wisconsin's First 
Born." 



The D. A. R. To Mrs. Van Cleve. 

Portage, Wis., June 25, 1904. 
Mrs. Charlotte 0. l^an Cleue, Minneapolis, Minn. 

My dear Mrs. l/an Cleue: The Daughters of Wau-Bun Chapter. 
D. /?, R., are very happy to know that you haue been spared 
through another year, and in a few days ijuill celebrate the eighty - 
fifth anniversary of your birth. 

l/ery frequently, in our study of the early history of Wisconsin, 

especially in connection with that of Fort Winnebago, our thoughts 

turn to you and your eventful life; aqd we deen] it a privilege 

and arj honor to send you loving greetings and best wishes for 

many happy returns of the day, 

Yours very sincerely, 

l\jjelissa L. ifluerson. Regent. 
Ella B. /Andrews, Cor. Sec. 

Mrs. Van Cleve's Acknowledgment. 

Minneapolis, Minn,, July 2, 1904. 
MJrs. M. L, fliverson. 

Regent, etc. : I was much touched with the kind remembrance 

of the Daughters of the Wau-Bun Chapter, of the D. fl. R.', and 

consider it great kindness to remember me on my 85th birthday. 

I shall not have many more in this world but, dear friends, we 

rqay all njeet in the blessed world where good-byes are never 

spoken and where all is peace and blessedness. I would like very 

muchj to see or hear from you from time to time and shall cherish 

the thought that I am not forgotten in the home of my childhood. 

God bless you all. Lovingly, 

Charlotte 0. Uan Cleve. 



